


Koselig

by Fruipit



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Elsanna - Freeform, F/F, Romance, UST, Various Genres, hella sexual tension, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 11:01:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 24,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4177320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fruipit/pseuds/Fruipit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>koselig: the feeling of warmth and friendliness that arises from sharing simple pleasures of life with people you like.<br/>~<br/>Various Elsanna one-shots I originally posted on Tumblr. Some incest, some not. Canon-verse, m!AUs, and many others. Prompts accepted!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How to Fail at Escaping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission was simple: get in, maybe kill someone, and get out.
> 
> And then a redhead happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay this was frustrating so I ended up just going to my draft-doc of The Àrnadalr Experiment (from like, November) and rewriting one of those scenes. It is so different to the story now that I don’t mind.
> 
> Heads up, I suck at sexual tension. Hope you enjoy~

The escape out the castle was far more eventful than breaking in. For one, Elsa had managed to alert every single Sentinel by improperly destroying the others’ communicators. For the other, she was currently dragging another person behind her who seemed to be extremely identifiable as someone who should  _not_  be dragged out of a library by anyone. The only useful functions the alarms seemed to serve was to freak out and disorient any enemy, and Elsa was not happy to admit that it was working.

She held the other girl tightly in her grip as she tore through the castle, blurs of black and the grey of the standard-issue prison garb. There was a whole team of Sentinels after her, and she thanked the Gods that at least the girl seemed to be important enough for the Sentinels to avoid trying to attack her through long-range methods. Pulling out a magneto-cuff from one of the many and various pockets of her jumpsuit, Elsa wrapped it around their hands, keeping them connected, and allowing her to focus more fully on getting out with her life.

Never before had she so royally screwed up a mission. Ever. This was the reason why she never had joined OLAF; too many things could go wrong when you had to rely on other people. If it was just her and Kristoff, that was fine. He could be trusted, and they had a constant communication. This time, she had been relying on the blind faith that everyone had done their own job. A faith that had, obviously, been misplaced.

Rounding a corner, she noticed a door slightly ajar. Running towards it, the girl panting behind her, Elsa shut it softly as soon as they both where inside. It seemed to be a small storage cupboard of some description, but without any lights, and unwilling to activate her Impulse for the Sentinels to hone in on, she wasn’t able to see much.

What she  _could_  see took her breath away.

Despite the baggy clothing, the girl was definitely not so much a  _girl_  as she was a  _woman_ , and a very pretty one at that. A flame of red hair sat atop a face willed with a galaxy of freckles, with a button nose and eyes calm enough to storm even the angriest of oceans.

“What are you doing?” the girl asked. Elsa’s eyes widened and she clapped a gloved hand over the girl’s lips.

“Shut up!” she hissed. “Or you’re going to get us killed.”  _Also you have a very lovely voice and I can’t concentrate with you breathing let alone talking. And yes I know there are very loud alarms but even they won’t hide us for long if you practically scream- no, don’t finish that thought._

The red-head took a breath and Elsa knew she had gotten the message. Slowly, she lowered her hand.

“What’s your name?” she asked, voice as low as she could possibly make it. Which was supposed to be  _quiet_ , dammit, not  _husky_. There was a time and a place, and a storage cupboard in Castle Arendelle during an escape with a former prisoner was neither.

The girl finally answered, after Elsa’d had more than enough time to mentally berate herself. “A-Anna,” she stuttered softly.

“Anna, my name is Elsa. I need you to tell me what the best way out of this place is so we can get out of here, okay?”

The girl shook her head, a motion that could be detected easily in the stillness. “I don’t- I don’t know where we are. I’ve never- they never took me down this hallway before. I swear!”

Elsa slapped her hand over the girl’s mouth again at the sudden increase in noise, but this time, Anna was prepared. It had been there for only a few moments before she felt a sharp pain and jerked away.

“Fuck!” she cried, surging forward and pressing her forearm against the girl’s neck, trapping her. Elsa could feel her quivering. Her hand ached and she could feel the wool of her glove scraping against the new wound. “What the fuck?” she hissed. “You bit me!”

Taking a breath, Elsa shut her eyes. It was obvious that the girl was terrified, but it was  _also_ obvious that she was lying. The light streaming in from under the door illuminated next to nothing, but Elsa could still make out the way the girl’s hands clenched, how her eyes never stayed on one spot.

“Look, I just need to get out of here. Please.”

The girl was silent for a moment before she whispered, “Why are you here?”

Elsa pursed her lips. She needed the girl to trust her and telling her that she had been sent to kill someone wouldn’t help at all. Then again, this girl was a prisoner too, so maybe she wouldn’t are so much? Elsa didn’t want to lie to the girl. That required planning and forethought and never worked because Elsa knew she was a shit liar anyway. The girl was terrified and if she discovered any kind of ruse (likely from Sentinels who didn’t know when to keep their damn mouths shut) it would make it even harder to get out. Dammit, and this was supposed to be easy!

… Then again, the plan to get out of here had been ‘back the way you came, Snow Queen, because the trail should still be clear’. That didn’t happen, and now she was hopelessly lost, relying on the person she believed to be her target to guide the way.

“I got lost,” she ended up saying, not quite sure how to phrase it. “I got lost.”

The girl nodded for a moment before saying, in a small voice, “I’ll help. Just please take me with you.”

And how could Elsa say no? If she did one good thing in her life, let it be this.

“I swear,” she said, “that I’ll do everything I can.”

The girl bit her lip, worrying it visibly even in the near-darkness. The sound of footsteps began to echo down the hallway, and Elsa instinctively straightened, pressing herself against the wall. Unfortunately, there just so happened to be another person in that space. The other girl, contrary to her actions earlier (and Elsa’s expectations now), said nothing.

Her eyes were wide, body pressed against Elsa’s in a deliciously warm way, and she almost shivered at the sensation.

Just before she could step back, Anna’s hands came to rest on her hips, neither holding her nor pushing her away. Well, not explicitly.

Without her consent, Elsa’s own hands moved up, fingers digging gently into Anna’s waist. The sound of the Sentinels grew closer, and barely aware of her own body in the small space, Elsa found herself moving ever-closer, until they were sharing the same air.

“I thought I’d be stuck here forever,” Anna breathed out, her words barely a puff of air between them. She moved her head closer, arms up, until she was resting in a full-body hug with her would-be saviour.

“Elsa…” Anna murmured, a thankful sound that had the blonde’s body heating up in ways she never imagined (and certainly not in a storage cupboard on enemy territory, no less. Anna’s hand kept moving upward, and she moved her face to look into the eyes of the blonde woman. She could feel Elsa’s warm breath wash over her in little bursts, and she leaned forward a little, almost desperate to touch the woman in front of her; desperate to hold her and convince the both of them that everything was okay and real.

Even that small space between them began to decrease as Elsa leaned forward; even in the almost-darkness, it was impossible to mistake her intentions. Not when the blonde licked her lips, eyes glued to Anna’s as her fingers dug in even further. Neither had thought it possible to decrease the distance between their bodies, but suddenly the pressure of the wall against Anna’s back was met almost equally by Elsa pressing to her front. She had to stop and swallow the gratuitous groan that wanted to burst forth at the leather-jumpsuit-clad blonde because  _fuck_.

Anna closed her eyes, unable to take the sight of Elsa so close and yet not close enough, patiently waiting for the single moment their lips would meet. It had been so long, after all, stuck in here.

That moment never came.

The sirens that had become mere background noise died away, leaving the two girls in an almost unnerving amount of complete silence. And though Anna was expecting it, she still couldn’t help the bubble of disappointment that rose when Els jumped back, clearing her throat. They spent the next few seconds looking at each other through the gloom of the cupboard until Anna finally gained the courage to speak.

“So… escape?” she asked, a small grin forced onto her face.

The tension seemed to leave Elsa almost straight away, and she gave a pathetic smile of her own. “Escape.”

Everything else could wait. They could talk about it later. Or never. Never worked well, too.

As the red-head moved to the door and peeked out, shooting Elsa a more genuine smile from the corner of her face, the blonde gave a mental sigh. She had the strangest feeling that things were going to change.

And for some reason… she didn’t mind so much…


	2. Impossible Things (part one)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from kashmir-bbj on Tumblr. This could be the beginning of a longer fic if I had the time for it. Think of it as a pilot.  
> prompt: AU where mythological creatures are common but considered animals, beasts. Anna works in a aquarium full of all sorts of beasts. Recently a new creature has been put in the aquarium and she’s super excited to know it.

On the list of Impossible Things that Anna had running in her head, she’d systematically proven that everything actually  _was_  possible with a little luck (and magic, if she were honest). For instance, she’d always wanted the monster under her bed to be real (because yay more friends) (or, well,  _a_ friend). Turned out that a Shisa had crawled its way under there to hide after it got lost, and Anna ended up spending three days trying to coax it out without alerting her parents.

She’d been nine.

The mere fact that it  _hadn’t_  killed her was more than enough for the Fabulalogical Society to hand her their card and tell her that ‘if she were ever looking for a job…’ with a meaningful look.

As soon as she was old enough, Anna rang them up and joined.

That was pretty much the end of her not-so-exhaustive list of Impossible Things (and the list was so short because she’d stopped believing that most things were impossible). The items that remained were things like 'second season of  _Firefly’_ and 'become an astronaut’.

And, as her job was in talking care of the marine-dwellers for release into the wild (and, if that wasn’t possible, at least so they wouldn’t attack other people while in the aquarium), 'meet a female nøkk’ was pretty high on her list of Impossible Things.

It wasn’t even something she’d thought of consciously, either. The simple fact was, nøkker were male. Not all were evil, and many were so old that they couldn’t be bothered to harass innocent people anymore.

The fact was that there hadn’t been any new nøkker in over two hundred years (at least, according to the very comprehensive registry that the Fabulalogical Society had drawn up)  _because_  all the females had died out.

Apparently, this wasn’t the case anymore.

Nøkker only bred under very specific circumstances (something to do with saltwater, a lily plant, blood of a three-week-old boy – not a lot, just a drop – and the eyelash of a shaman with eyes of blue), which didn’t help matters, either. The last female Anna had heard of had died in the 1800’s when it (and its partner) had been caught in a severe storm.

Anna had rehabilitated all of the surviving ones in North America (a staggering total of three), and was extremely under-prepared to meet the fourth. She’d probably have doubted the veracity of the information but for the fact that it came from Kristoff; if anyone knew the Scandinavian species, it was him.

He was raised by trolls.

So when Kristoff woke her up in the middle of the night, a giddy smile on his face and citing a  _child_ nøkk, Anna was intrigued. And excited. And when he leaned close and whispered, in the same excitable tone, that it was a  _girl_ , Anna felt as though she could faint.

And here she was, just outside of the room that held the nøkk, severely underprepared.

“Do we have  _any_  information?” Anna hissed at Kristoff, who was standing just behind her.

He shook his head, “Nothing, except Marshmallow picked her up near Corona. She was trying to seduce them, and… well, you know Marsh.”

Anna nodded. Marshmallow was invaluable (and pretty fantastic at their job) by essence of being completely untouchable by spirits and demons who relied on infatuation to get what they want.

“Obviously untrained, then,” she murmured. “No other nøkker to tell her not to?”

“Corona’s over a hundred miles from Triton’s location, and he’s the closest. We have no idea about her – not even how old she is, but I’d wager she’s pretty young.”

Anna turned around and looked at Kristoff. “What makes you say that?” she asked. He offered a shrug.

“She was terrified.”

With a grim nod, Anna stepped through the door.

_Oh… wow…_

Suspended in a tank of water, the nøkk was… well, it was invisible. But still! All the others had been too old to do that, their power and magic waning over the years. Seeing one who could actually fully disappear was… amazing.

Shooing Kristoff from the room, she walked around the suspended tank and over to a table and chair, sitting in the corner. There was a bucket and a knife, and she smiled approvingly as she dimmed the lights a little.

Reaching into the bucket, she pulled out a fish and cut a slit in its belly. Throwing it into the tank, she watched as it began to sink, blood leaking from it in wisps, before the whole thing suddenly vanished.

So, hungry.

Sitting in the chair, Anna pulled out another fish and did the same to it, only she didn’t through it into the tank. Instead, she began to speak, keeping her eyes averted. Nøkker didn’t like being watched – something she had learnt painfully, if the scar on her back was any reminder.

“I’m Anna,” she said slowly, softly, speaking at the fish but to the tank. “I’m here to help you. We can’t have wonderful creatures like you going around hurting people. That’s not fair, is it? Hmm, no it isn’t. So I’m going to be your friend for however long it takes. First we’re just going to work on acquainting you with people. No one here is frightened of you. No one here will hurt you.” She glanced up, but the nøkk was still invisible.  _Terrified_ , Kristoff had said. Well, that needed to change.

Standing up, she approached the tank, infinitely aware of how the water became more agitated the closer she got.

“Shh…” she cooed, placing a hand on the glass. “I’m not going to hurt you. Come on, you can do it…” She held the fish up. “Come on, I just wanna see your pretty face. You can show me that, right?”

The water calmed and stilled, and Anna smiled. “That’s it, that’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you…”

Her breath caught in her throat as the nøkk became visible. The fish slipped from her grasp, smile falling with it, as her eyes raked over the creature in the tank.

Yet another thing to tick off her list.

And another one added, because as the fish fell, the nøkk’s own expression warped. Icy blue eyes turned a deep midnight; the blonde hair that hung so freely suspended in the water became river weeds; the snow-pale flesh decaying before Anna’s very eyes.

Without warning, the nøkk charged at the glass, and Anna barely had two seconds to jump back. She picked up the fish and threw it in the tank, hoping to subdue the creature.

She threw it right back at Anna.

 _One more Impossible Thing,_  she thought later, sitting in the bath and picking fish scales from her hair. The nøkk had been moved to a bigger tank, and Anna had retreated to her room to fill out paperwork (and get rid of the awful fish smell).

_I am never going to tame her…_


	3. Territory (part one)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa's been spending time with another queen, one by the name of Marisol who comes from distant lands.
> 
> Anna doesn't like it. Not. One. Bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of 2. Written for talkswithherhands on Tumblr.

It was rare for Princess Anna to be awake before midday (if the servants were lucky), and so it came as a great surprise to them to see her running down the halls just after the end of first breakfast (which was only the ‘first’ one because she usually missed it, and so they had to prepare a second, third, and occasionally a fourth just so she would have her three meals a day—and save the kitchen from being raided).

“Drat,” she said to herself, sliding around a corner and almost running into a maid carrying some linens.

“Sorry!” came her cry, echoing down the corridor and following her down the stairs.

Finally making it to her destination, she pause outside the door, trying to catch her breath. After all, this was the first day in a week that she’d be able to share more than a greeting with her sister. She needed her breath to hold a conversation.

Throwing the doors open, she marched in, eyes zooming in on Elsa, who was just finishing with a bowl of sliced peaches.

“Elsa!” she called out, a wide grin on her face. It fell as her eyes aligned on another figure, sitting on Elsa’s right.

On  _her_  chair.

Immediately, Anna’s features settled into a frown. “What’s she doing there?” she asked. It was too early to be polite. And it wasn’t like she never got away with being rude in front of her sister. The way the woman’s eyes widened, and Elsa’s rapidly-reddening face, she almost thought that perhaps she should have been a little… nice.

Almost.

“Anna!” Elsa spluttered (sort of. She was always fairly composed). “This is Queen Marisol of the Desert Lands. She is and old friend of mine and our guest, and  _will_  be accorded your best manners.”

Marisol? Why did that name sound familiar? And since when did Elsa have  _friends?_ Anna had no time to think on it because she was distracted by Elsa. There was a sharpness in her voice that the red-head was unaccustomed to, and it made her pause for a moment, a little hurt. Elsa hadn’t even sounded  _exasperated_ , a far more common occurrence.

Swallowing, she brushed it aside, forcing a smile.

"Apologies,” she said, inclining her head. Moving forward, she dumped herself in the chair opposite her sister let a servant pour her coffee. She added the sugar herself, somewhat embarrassed to ask the young man to add the ten-or-so cubes she took with it.

“So, what are you doing up this early, Anna?” Elsa inquired, spooning a piece of peach into her mouth. Anna, watching her cheeks puff out a little at the sudden mass, bit back a smile. Elsa really had no idea how adorable she was.

And then Anna realised that Elsa had actually asked a question, and she spent a few seconds scrambling her brain to reply with right answer.

“Oh! Um, well, you know how I usually sleep in? I thought it would be really nice to get up early and then go on that picnic you promised like,  _months_  ago because you said last week that you had today and tomorrow off. I figure that getting up early can’t hurt if it means I can spend time with you.” She smiled and, spiel finished reached for a bread roll, ripping it apart with her teeth. “Also, we can totally make a blanket fort later and sleep in tomorrow.”

She glanced up to see Elsa’s expression, somewhere between guilt and horror, with the foreign Queen stoically avoiding looking at either Arendellian.

"Wha’?” Anna asked, mouth full.

“Please don’t eat with your mouth full, Anna. We’ve been over this,” Elsa sighed. “I’m sorry to ruin your plans,” she said, sounding… not really all that sorry at all, “but I promised Queen Marisol that I would take her on a tour of Arendelle.”

Anna’s expression fell for a moment before she perked up. “Oh, well, that’s all right. I’ll just tag along. We can totally do this picnic another day-“

“Anna-”

“Princess.”

The soft voice of Queen Marisol broke through the two sisters, and they turned to look at her.

This time, Anna  _really_  looked at her. Her eyes raked over thick brown hair, cascading in waves over her shoulders. The sides were pinned back, undoubtedly with an elaborate clasp (which Anna couldn’t see). She wasn’t wearing a crown, but then, neither did Elsa, usually. Marisol’s sun-tanned skin was darker than any she had seen before, giving her an undefinable, dare she say it,  _exotic_ look.

She looked very attractive, Anna grudgingly admitted to herself. Like a real queen. Of course, she couldn’t hold a candle to Elsa’s appearance, with her pale hair and high cheekbones. The way the light freckles on her face were barely noticeable, despite her pail skin tone, and how her eyes reflected, not the ice inside of her, but the warmth.

When Marisol spoke again, Anna could detect the fine traces of an accent, though it was very subtle.

“I think a picnic is a very nice idea. It allows me to spend more time learning about your wonderful kingdom, Elsa.” She smiled at the blonde queen, and Anna felt her heart sink when Elsa returned it. It was the same smile she’d give Anna, too—soft and kind and  _wonky_.

But Elsa had asked her to be nice, and dammit, she was going to be nice. She was going to nice the pants off this interloper!

… Or, well, not really, but still! Elsa would be amazed at how polite and kind and friendly she was going to be. And then they’d make a blanket fort and fall asleep together without Marisol and Elsa would just hug her and never be shared again.

With that pleasant thought bouncing around her head, Anna was able to daydream the morning away. It would have been better if they had guards, or even  _Kristoff_ , but unfortunately, she’d told the ice-harvester to do something fun for the day (he’d chosen to go truffle-hunting, for some reason), and the guards had been directed by Elsa to keep a respectable distance. They were currently trailing a good 20 yards behind the three women.

Ann wasn’t that interested in seeing the sights, but she wasn’t going to begrudge spending a day with Elsa. Even if it meant having someone else hanging around, too. Well, usually.

She was allowed to get a little upset over the fact that Elsa seemed to be ignoring her, barely aware when Anna paused at a vendor to inquire about a new line of chocolate they were supposedly getting from the Flemish Islands. And by barely aware, Anna meant that Elsa hadn’t even heard her, instead continuing down the street and pointing out the sights. Anna only realised when one of the guards gave a small cough behind her and she noticed that her sister was nowhere in sight. She didn’t bother bringing it up to Elsa when she finally caught up.

Anna wasn’t one for trying to mess up other people’s lives. But, could she really be blamed for doing things to get Marisol away—especially after the chocolate debacle. If this were a diplomatic thing, surely Elsa could take another day off to do diplomatic things, instead of spending her _actual_  off-day entertaining?

So, it wasn’t really her fault if she was a little ruder. At least she was covert about it!

Anna would maintain that Marisol tripped over a carrot and into a puddle. And it was true, definitely. Just because the carrot wasn’t there earlier didn’t make it false. And just because Anna regularly carried the vegetables for Sven didn’t mean that it came from her.

“Oh, Heavens. I’m terribly sorry, Marisol,” Elsa said, glaring at Anna, who was nonchalantly watching a few pigeons, ignoring the spectacle. And Marisol. At least she didn’t look so good, filthy from the puddle.

“Yes, terrible,” she said, catching her sister’s eye. “You should go to the castle and clean-up. Elsa and I will meet you at the picnic-”

“Nonsense, Anna,” came the reply, coupled with a narrowing of her eyes. “Please, Marisol, go ahead. I have several dresses in my room that should suit you for the rest of the day. Just speak to Kai. I need to have a word with my sister…”

Marisol gave a smile (that Elsa returned, annoyingly) and allowed one of the guards to lead her back to the palace.

“What is wrong with you?” Elsa hissed as soon as she was sure the other Queen was out of earshot. “That was not very nice, Anna.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Anna responded, crossing her arms. “And what do you mean, she can wear your dresses?  _I’m_  not even allowed to wear your clothes.”

Elsa frowned. “Because I didn’t give you permission. I gave  _her_  permission. Don’t question me, Anna-“

"Why?!” the red-head interrupted. “Remember last month how you promised we’d go on a picnic then, and then you bailed for some stupid reason? And then I asked if I could help you at all because it would, I don’t know,  _help you_? And then you had that peace-offering ball for the diplomats here for your coronation and you didn’t talk to me all night? Because I went thirteen years without you and want to spend as much time as possible with you? I love you, Elsa, and right now, it’s not feeling reciprocated. You’d rather sneak- you’d rather sneak into the maid’s rooms than you would mine…” Anna’s voice had grown softer, but no less angry.

Elsa’s face slackened and paled, shock displayed prominently over her features before it gave way to anger. She took a step forward to Anna, oblivious to the snow falling above their heads.

"Don’t you  _dare_  presume anything about me, Anna. I am your older sister, and more than that, I am your  _Queen_. You have been nothing but rude all morning—I know that Marisol is feeling put out by your behaviour, and I won’t stand for it.”

At that, Anna let out a laugh that wasn’t really a laugh at all. She had no idea where this anger had come from, but it felt… good.

It had already been there, though, festering under the surface of her skin—under her laughs and smiles and shrugs—for years.

"Tell that to my five-year-old self as you shut your door in her face. Every time you told her to go away. Every  _single_  birthday you didn’t appear, and I’d smile it off and then blow out the candles on my cake, and you know the one thing I’d wish for?” Anna took a breath, almost surprised that Elsa didn’t interrupt. Maybe she’d actually want to hear the answer… “…I’d wish that I could just have one more day to spend with you… I’d wish that, on that day, we were back to being best friends and that you would actually want me around as much as I wanted you. And I’d pray for that everyday, too, and you know what?” Anna took a breath, surprised to find herself close to tears. “I still pray for that.” There was a lump in her throat, put there by the memories she’d sworn to never look at again. She knew she should stop, but why bother, when Elsa wouldn’t understand anyway. That was in the past, and as the Queen believed, the past was supposed to stay there.

"I…” she began, “Elsa, I still feel like that little girl, locked out of your life. Except now I have to watch you spend it with other people while you barely give me the time of day.”

Elsa’s face was unreadable. The snow had stopped falling, instead swirling lazily between them. Then, Elsa took a breath.

“I have better things—more  _important_  things—to do than entertain you all day, Anna. I’m trying to run a country, not live up to your five-year-old fantasies.”

As soon as the words left Elsa’s mouth, Anna lost her breath. Sure, they had fought before, but nothing like  _this_. Her hands trembled at her sides, and she clenched them in a valiant attempt to conceal it.

_Hah. Conceal, don’t feel. Good one, Papa._

She blinked rapidly, a weight in her chest she hadn’t ever really felt before. Because, yeah, the disappointment of not having Elsa, the rejection she’d felt over the last thirteen years, it was sort of passive. It had gotten less and less over the years as her expectations plummeted.

But this time, she’d let herself dare to dream and hope again. And once again, she’d been disappointed.

She became aware of Elsa’s own expression, hands up in front of her mouth and eyes widened in a horror similar to the one present there earlier.

"Anna…” She reached out a hand, probably to try and backtrack—to take back her words and comfort the red-head who was so obviously breaking in front of her. Anna’s hands were wrapped around her middle in a hug, shoulders hunched up to her ears as warm tears slowly dripped down her face.

And maybe it was more horrible because Elsa was upset, but Elsa didn’t  _deserve_  to be upset. She didn’t  _deserve_ to feel guilty and regretful at the words she’d spat at Anna. Taking a breath, the red-head looked at her sister through the water in her eyes.

“Wow,” she choked out. Gosh, even  _talking_  to Elsa was difficult at the moment. “You really  _are_  an Ice Queen. Sure you didn’t- didn’t freeze your own heart? Because I know mine’s working for you.”

And okay, that was really the worst thing ever to say, but it  _hurt_. Elsa hurt her and she just wanted to be out of her presence. “If  _Your Majesty_  will excuse me. You probably have real work to do.”

Turning on her heels, Anna headed in the opposite direction of the castle, just trying to get away from her sister.

And maybe she just wanted to see whom Elsa would chose—her or the other Queen. It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did when there was no sign of the blonde behind her, but it still did.

Anna was already regretting the words she had accused her sister with in her anger. Elsa had kept away from her out of some bizarre righteous, protective streak. She’d always make sure to have their meals together, and they had a no-locked-doors policy in place that she’d never broken.

But thirteen years of rejection were hard to get over, she supposed.

Anna wandered around aimlessly for the rest of the afternoon. She wasn’t usually one to take advantage of her status as Princess (… spare, really, because Elsa wouldn’t let her do any work anyway), but after she wandered into the third chocolate shop and was given yet another handful of the ‘daily specialties’. And honestly, she could do with some cheering up. And… maybe Elsa did, too.

The sun was just beginning to touch the horizon as she made her way back to the castle, emotionally drained, carrying a little box of chocolate to give to Elsa. More of a peace offering than the actual apology. That Elsa would get tomorrow when she was more likely to accept it and Anna had slept. It had been a  _very_  draining day…

She wasn’t expecting to see Elsa and Marisol standing in front of her bedroom door.

The sight itself was strange enough on its own, but the distance (or lack, thereof) between the two woman somehow made Anna even unhappier. She had thought earlier that she was feeling about as bad as she could, but here was the proof that no, it could get even worse.

Staying hidden, Anna crept a little closer. Elsa had her back to Anna and was embraced in a strong hug—though it probably wasn’t nearly as tight as Anna’s heart felt at that moment. Marisol’s hand stroked up and down Elsa’s back in soothing circles, and it made Anna feel ill.

Elsa didn’t even initiate contact with her most days. Never without her gloves off, at any rate. And here she was, being held right in front of Anna’s room. The nerve!

Anna straightened up, prepared to march right over there and risk Elsa’s wrath if she could only break them up. Yet another thing gave her pause, though, as her sister’s voice reached her ears.

“…probably hates me by now. If she doesn’t, she will. I know it…”

Gods be, and she had been crying, too, if the slight shake in her voice and lack of eye-contact with Marisol meant anything. Anna watched, now torn between running away again or moving forward. Marisol pulled a handkerchief from a pocket in her dress (wow, Elsa had  _pockets_  in her dres- no, Anna. Focus) and wiped Elsa’s face gently.

“Anna would never hate you. She loves you, too, you know.”

Elsa began shaking her head. Anna had a feeling she was about to say something when the words were stolen from her.

She really had to stop being so dramatic about little things, because the rest of her day had been _Jul_  compared to the next few seconds.

In some dramatic cliché, time slowed down as Anna gazed, unhindered, at Marisol and Elsa. The foreign queen brought her hand to cup Elsa’s chin, giving her enough time to pull away as she closed the distance.

_nononononononono-_

Their lips had barely touched before Anna let out choked cry, unable to bite it back. Elsa whirled around, looking for the source. As soon as her eyes fell on Anna, she paled.

“Anna-”

The red-head had vanished before she’d even finished the first syllable, the box of chocolates lying where they had been dropped on the floor.


	4. The Soldier and the Slave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Praetor Elsa, marching North with her army to conquer Gaul for Rome, has taken another barbarian city. Her soldiers busy themselves dividing the spoils.. including slaves to be taken back to the capital. A fight breaks out over ownership of a particular slave, a red-headed girl, the daughter of the slain barbarian chieftain. Elsa has taken notice... she knows a little Gaulish but having a native speaker by her side would be useful for the remainder of the campaign. That’s what she tells herself anyway...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> minor prompt deviation, but you'll live :) translations at the end.
> 
> [edit: thank you to Spitmage on FFN, who corrected the Norwegian translations :) ]

She’d called for surrender, and they’d given her a war.

Elsa held little sympathy for the barbarians who opposed her. For their good, and the good of the Empire, they would fall. The New World was only so very small, and Rome intended on conquering all of it. It was better to come willingly than attempt to escape the fate that Rome would one day own them all.

Her own parents had made that wise decision, moving from the alpine fjords to the very heart of the civilised world. Elsa only lamented the loss of her home; not the wealth that the move had brought.

She’d proven herself to be valuable to the fight; the consul didn’t care about her origins.

It was a matter of power. Rome could not fall to the Gaulish brutes. It was conquer or be conquered. For the good of all, sacrifices must be made, whether they be loyal Romans, or the people of Gaul who’d never lifted a sword in their life.

And when the battle ended and all that lay around them were the bodies of the dead, Elsa turned and left, walking to the edge of the city. The soldiers could argue and quarrel amongst themselves, fighting like vultures to gain the best spoils; some meat from homes, candles, coins.

People.

The consul would care, she imagined. The wealth of the towns, cities they conquered, became Rome’s wealth. To steal after a won battle was to steal from Rome herself.

But the men were tired and  _she_  was tired, and the only things left were the people. Rome would not care if another family owned another slave.

“Praetor!”

A voice called from the depths of the city, and Elsa turned. A young man, fresh-faced but with haunted eyes (eyes of war, Elsa told herself. The same eyes that every man on her regimen carried) was running towards her, armour jangling. He dropped to a bow at her feet, and she nodded, motioning for him to stand.

“Praetor,” he began, “we found naught but a trace of Dumnorix by way of his crest. He fell in battle.”

Elsa frowned. The consul had wanted the leader of the town; and who was she to defy their orders? But, how could she have predicted the man would leave his home to partake in battle?

The soldier’s next words broke her from her train of thought.

“But, the men… they’ve found his kin; a girl.”

Elsa furrowed her brows. “Datter…” she murmured to herself. When the man gave her a strange look, she coughed. “Daughter,” she corrected. His eyes lit up with recognition, and a question, but with a stiff nod, she dismissed him.

That was when she heard the scream.

Hurriedly moving back through the city, Elsa found herself stumbling across a sight that should have been rarer than it was. A circle of soldiers were standing around a prone form, pushing, shoving, grabbing. Elsa held little hope that their intentions were pure. She moved forward, mouth opening to interrupt, when the figure cried again. This time, being closer, she could hear the rough, unfamiliar tongue of the Gauls accompanying it, spoken in the higher tones that almost always mean ‘female’.

“Praetor!”

As soon as her title was called, the men stopped and turned. Faces scowling – likely upset at being caught before they could take their prize – the men backed off. All but one, who grabbed the girl and all but flung her at Elsa. Forced into a low bow, the girl struggled, striking out at the man holding her down; it almost made a small smile shine through Elsa’s features when the man received an unwelcome strike to his stomach.

“Enough,” Elsa said when it looked like the man would fight back. “This is Dumnorix’s child?”

The way the girl stiffened at the name gave Elsa all the information she needed, and with a smirk, she knelt down, her face inches from the soft, freckled one. “So, what is your name?” In reality, Elsa didn’t expect an answer. She just needed the girl to say something – submit to the might of Rome and show that she understood who was in charge.

But, all she did was stare back defiantly, her mouth sealed shut. Elsa frowned.

“Tell me, and the men won’t hurt you,” she urged again. The girl’s jaw worked back and forth as though she were chewing on an answer, only to completely defy Elsa’s expectations by throwing her head back and spitting into the praetor’s face. The action was accompanied by a harsh Gaulish word that Elsa completely ignored.

Grabbing the girl by her jowl, Elsa pulled her free hand back, hand curling into a fist. The girl didn’t even flinch, staring Elsa down while she waiting for the strike.

It never came.

“Du er så vakker. Det ville vært en skam å ødelegge deg…” Elsa murmured to herself as she lowered her fist. Her other hand was still on the prisoner’s face, forcing the girl to look at her. It took Elsa a moment to realise how warm the skin beneath her hands had become, and how the face slowly began to colour, drowning out the numerous freckles.

The prisoner stopped struggling, instead fighting to avert her gaze. Elsa’s eyes widened a fraction, and her mouth hung open for a moment as she collected her thoughts.

“Du… forstår dette? Du er ikke herfra?”

When the girl nodded, Elsa felt a blush rising to her own face. Swallowing, she climbed to her feet, dusting herself off at the same time.

“Dumnorix had no child,” she said to the men gathered. “This girl is a slave, taken from Svea Rike. She speaks my tongue, and the language of the barbarous Gauls. She will translate, but for now, she is my property.”

And with that, Elsa turned to the girl. She crouched down, waiting for her men to disperse. They did not take long, choosing to go back to fighting over the spoils rather than entertain a slim hope that their praetor would change her mind.

“Hva heter du?” she said softly, once she was sure the men would not hear. Not that they could understand, but her foreign lineage was not something she was proud of; not in this conquest. But, the familiar words brought a smile to the girl’s face, and she was much more accommodating to answer.

“Anna. Jeg heter Anna.”

Elsa nodded. “Jeg heter Elsa.”

This campaign just got much more interesting…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations (just because it’s a little important and if I’ve gotten them wrong, help would, uh… help :P )  
> datter ; daughter  
> du er så vakker. det ville vært en skam å ødelegge deg ; you are so beautiful, it would be a shame to ruin you  
> du forstår dette? du er ikke herfra? ; you understood that? you’re not from here?  
> hva heter du ; what is your name?  
> jeg heter… ; my name is…


	5. Powers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by an anon. Slightly more romantic, I suppose. Doesn't really go into too much detail. The original prompt was "one shot of sfw incest-y elsanna where anna finds out she has powers too?". I, personally, hate powers!Anna stories (in a general sense. Obviously, there are exceptions), so this one is a... little different. This was my first incest fic ^^;

After the Great Thaw, there was not one single soul who hadn't heard of Queen Elsa, the woman with powers over ice and snow.

The Snow Queen, if you will.

One week after her coronation, she'd received over six hundred letters from the people of her own nation, praising her, wishing her a long and successful reign, thanking her for her kind soul and hard work.

She hadn't read a single one.

At the same time, she'd received a declaration of war from the Latina Imperium Romanum, demanding she hand herself over to be tried, under God, as a witch and usurper of the holy doctrine.

The inevitable battle was swift and decisive. Elsa went out to meet with them alone, standing regal as she stepped onto the fjord, it turning to ice beneath her feet. Before she left, she placed a lingering kiss to her sister's chin, so close and warm. She'd promised she'd be safe, and she didn't lie.

Arendelle lost no lives.

There was no one of the Empire left to return home.

She'd disappeared after that, barely a ghost. Her advisors met only a stony face, the mask of a quivering woman who lay shattered beneath.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Something else had been lost that day, something no bigger than the same childish innocence she'd not had since she was eight, and yet worth so much more.

But now, this time, she had Anna. And maybe that wasn't all for the better but she couldn't care less as she crept along deserted hallways and into her sister's room.

She needed to feel something alive. She needed to feel  _Anna_  alive.

And her people clamoured and praised her, raised a cry in approval and support of her actions and she turned a bitter eye because it was all just so revolting. They didn't know what she did out there on the ice, what she did to protect her home, her family.

They didn't know what she did at night, sneaking to her sister's bed, trading soft words and even softer touches. Waking up the next day unable to regret what she'd done because it just felt so _right_ , and yet still hating herself as she slipped on a thin slip of fabric. Even as Anna comforted her afterwards, kissing her without hesitation and murmured "I love you"s, she couldn't help but think that it  _wasn't supposed to be like this_.

And yet she still returned every night.

After the One Minute War, as it was dubbed, no nation dared attack Arendelle. And her people praised her, praised her powers, for it brought about a peace that had been unprecedented. It brought about a wealth for their small kingdom that had never before been felt.

And then the whispers began.  _Poor Princess Anna_ , they said.  _How must she feel,_  they asked,  _to be overshadowed by such a wonderful, benevolent sister?_

_How do we know her lineage is pure? Why does Her Majesty have such wonderful powers and yet she has none of her own?_

It brought about grudges from nobles, long buried. If Elsa has powers, shouldn't Anna, therefore, have her own? Should she not have some special ability?

And if not, how were they to know that  _Elsa_  was the rightful ruler?

That last one was merely a whisper of a rumour—a murmur in the night that shouldn't have reached the ears of the Crown and yet did so anyway.

And Elsa laughed for the first time in what felt like forever.

Only Anna could control her, tell her what to do, make her  _beg_.

Surely that was power, far greater than that of even the Snow Queen.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.


	6. Territory (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More romantic than the other ones, but to keep it in-character without going into a full-length story, I had to suppress it a bit. I apologise if this isn't what you wanted, but I'm not going to compromise the characters or believability to cater to romantics out there. This couldn't, imo, have ended any more 'romantic' than it did.
> 
> I was also debating not posting this for a few more, erm, months. But then I thought 'fuck it'.
> 
> Enjoy or not. Up to you.

 

"Anna!"

Elsa's voice echoed around the frustratingly empty halls. There were no maids or guards that she could ask for directions, and she couldn't see hide nor hair of her little sister. Anna had completely vanished, which was perhaps the most annoying thing. Because for thirteen years, Elsa had avoided her sister like the plague; but, half the time she'd managed to run into her anyway.

Taking her lessons in the dining room because Anna's were in the library, but having the precocious red-head sneaking in for some krumkake. Walking the back hallways instead of the shorter, warmer common ones and stumbling across her sister raiding a well-concealed chocolate stash.

She'd tried to avoid her sister and failed, and now that she wanted to find her, she couldn't.

And maybe Elsa would laugh about it later, but for now it only served to make her heart drop further because this meant that Anna really didn't  _want_  to be found.

…She probably even had a secret spot she went to when she was upset (because who doesn't?) and that was just something else that Elsa had never bothered to find out.

Clenching her uncovered hands to her side, Elsa cursed herself, suddenly grateful of the empty hallway as she backed up against one of the walls. Her fists came to rest on her stomach and she hung her head.

She had hurt Anna once again, and the reason was staring her in the face. Flexing her fingers, she glared at the thin digits and manicured nails as though they had personally offended her.

_If only I'd been better…_

Taking a breath, she forced her eyes up. It wouldn't do to dwell. It really wouldn't. She'd spend the next thirteen years pushing those thoughts away if she had to. She began to move once more, making her way back to Anna's room, and to the other Queen still waiting for her there.

But that only caused yet another painful strike across her heart because it was just one more reason Anna had run away. And, now that Elsa was forced to see the signs, it was just another reason for Anna to dislike the other girl.

Their time had been precious enough, but Elsa knew she should have sat down her sister and explained that she was being courted by –  _courting_  – someone. That time would become even sparser between them.

Instead, she'd simply pushed the other girl away, allowing her duties as queen to become more important than her little sister. She was selfish º if she didn't tell Anna, she could pretend that the gap wasn't expanding between them, that everything was okay.

That they were okay.

But Anna  _wasn't supposed to see that_.

… Even if… even if it was for her own good.

Anna's vitriolic words came back to Elsa; the harsh accusations she'd cried out in the moment that hurt so much because they were, undeniably… true. And at the same time, they weren't. Anna held half a picture in her hand and Elsa simply hadn't allowed her to see everything.

Because she wasn't hurting anyone by visiting the maids (or having them visit her). It didn't hurt _her_  to have Marisol wear her dresses, but even the thought of Anna- no. She wouldn't let herself go down that path. Conceal. Be the perfect  _sister_ , Elsa.

She needed to find Anna and apologise. She needed to- she needed to sit her down and explain everything.

Pausing mid-step, she closed her eyes and took a breath before turning around, walking away from Anna's room.

Marisol would be waiting there, and Elsa wasn't sure if she could face the other woman.

Tonight has not been good.

Passing several servants on her way to her room, she didn't bother asking after Anna; instead, she sent them fetch Gerda, who would take Queen Marisol to her room. She made sure that the brunette would be told their… meeting… would have to wait until the following day. She knew the other woman would understand, and Elsa couldn't be bothered thinking up any excuses. She wasn't in the mood.

The hour had grown incredibly late by the time Elsa slipped into her room. The fire, though she didn't need one, had burnt low until it was merely embers, and if she were honest, she appreciated the smell more than the warmth.

As soon as the door was shut, she began tugging at the laces of her corset. Her heart was heavy, and she crossed the wooden floors to look out across the fjord.

It was snowing.

Letting out a small sigh, her hands dropped and her forehead came to rest against the glass. So much for concealing. Biting her lip, Elsa thought back to the day. Anna had been a nuisance, but a nuisance that Elsa would always welcome openly. Too many years of watching Anna from her bedroom window, sharp eyes noting and categorising each and every change that the red-head went though, fostered a sense of peace when she was near the girl, regardless of any peace that actually occurred around them (and, considering it was Anna, peace was fairly scarce anyway).

Perhaps, once, it could have been mistaken for sisterly affection. Now? Elsa could barely lie to everyone else, let alone herself. Marisol had been a godsend, if only because she didn't care. Her country needed a stable alliance with Arendelle, and Elsa was more than happy to accommodate.

… She had been the one to suggest marriage, after all…

Slipping behind her changing screen, she quickly did away with the constricting material of her corset. Her nightgown was a welcome change – the soft silk hung from thin shoulders, bunching a little at her hips before cascading further down to swish around her ankles.

She moved from there to poke at the fire, putting another log on it to ensure it didn't burn out in the remainder of the night.

"Where's  _her highness_?"

Elsa jumped back, dropping the poker in her haste to turn around. It clattered heavily to the floor, likely leaving an ashy mark, but Elsa hadn't the presence of mind to think on that.

Anna was sitting in her bed, eyes forced down into her own lap as she fiddled with a loose thread. Elsa hadn't even seen her when she entered – had Anna always been sitting there?

"Anna…?" Elsa began, but the young princess cut her off.

"Or should I move? I'm sure she'd appreciate me keeping your bed warm for her, but probably wouldn't like me getting in the way."

Elsa had to force herself to swallow; her mouth was drier than the deserts of Queen Marisol's kingdom, and she wasn't sure what to say.

She didn't know what Anna was thinking.

"Marisol is likely in her room, asleep," Elsa said. "You had a busy day; perhaps you should-"

Anna interrupted with a noise, somewhere between a cough and a snort. "Don't use your 'queen voice' when you're talking to me. It sounds stupid." Elsa let out a sigh.

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

Anna shrugged. "I dunno. An apology, maybe? Or an explanation? That might help."

Sinking into a chair by the fire, Elsa brought a hand up to her forehead. "Anna, I don't owe you anything. I don't owe you an apology or an explanation. What I do with my time, and with whom, is only a concern of mine. No one else's."

She'd said the words as softly as she could – without the anger of earlier. Elsa knew that it would have been better if she could face Anna but… she couldn't.

At least, not until Anna replied.

It was several seconds after her answer that Anna spoke; this time, her words weren't flat, or bitter. They weren't even spoken with the intent to guilt Elsa.

"You know what I want…" she began quietly – almost too quiet for Elsa to hear. When the Queen glanced up, Anna looked down. The only view Elsa had was of the top of the princess's head. "I want – this sounds so pathetic… I want you to miss me as much as I miss you. I want you to actually c-care about my day and what I do. Did you know Kristoff and I broke up? I hope not, because you didn't say anything. No, 'how are you, Anna', or 'I'm sorry, Anna'."

Elsa bit her lip. She  _had_  known. It would be hard not to, with the way the ice harvester had stopped visiting, the way Anna would hover just a little closer a little longer.

It was Elsa's turn to look away. Where had her fiery sister gone? It would be so much easier if Anna would just… get angry with her.

But when Anna spoke again, Elsa knew that anger just wasn't in her that night. Not now, and maybe not ever.

"Y-you didn't even tell me…" Anna began, voice breaking a little. Elsa caught movement in the corner of her eye, but averted her gaze entirely when she realised Anna was wiping at her face. Her gut curdled, and she was two steps from springing up and pulling Anna close. "

But she couldn't. She had to be strong.

"I'm sorry, Anna. But I don't have to tell you anything. I didn't want to burden you-"

"Hah!" Anna interrupted with a watery scoff, but Elsa ignored her.

"Marisol and I are… courting. The alliance with her people will only prove beneficial to Arendelle in the long run."

This time, when Elsa looked up, Anna was already doing the same.

"You would just… sell yourself off, all for a  _trade_  agreement?" Anna cried out, hands brushing furiously at her eyes. "What happened to 'you can't marry a man you just met'? Do you- do you even know Marisol? What about _love_?"

Elsa grit her teeth, unable to tear her eyes from Anna. Why couldn't her sister just  _accept_  that this was how it had to be? For Arendelle, for Elsa… and for Anna.

The princess was still shouting, paying no mind to her volume or the time. "How  _dare_  you give yourself up like that? What about me? You'd just- you'd just agree to this without even  _asking_  me about it? Or perhaps you couldn't ignore the hypocrisy. You  _can't_  marry someone you don't know, Elsa. You taught me that. You're Queen, and if you want to marry for love, who can stop you? Why are you  _doing_  this?!"

Anna cut herself off there, panting heavily. Her eyes were red, still leaking salty tears over freckled cheeks. Elsa pinched her lips shut, stubbornly refusing to answer. Anna couldn't know. It could destroy everything.

 _Don't you think you've already done that?_  an insidious voice whispered in her ear. Still, she refused to speak.

"You know what? Fine. I give up. I'm so,  _so_  tired of this, Elsa. I thought you were my best friend, but-"

"Why do you care?" Elsa's voice was soft. "Why does it matter to you who I kiss. Who I agree to marry, and for whatever reason?"

"I don't need protecting, Elsa!"

"I never said-"

"No, you didn't," Anna interrupted. "But that's what you  _do_ , Elsa. You take on board all these- these _things_ , just so I don't have to. What kind of  _Queen_  gets married for political purposes when there's a spare princess lying around?"

"Anna, you're not-"

"I'm not done! You- you do all these things because you want to protect me, but when the time comes, you can't even look me in the eyes. You promised a picnic and it turns into a battle. What do I have to do to get you to  _look at me_?

"I just- I just want my best friend back…"

Anna's hands returned to the loose thread in her lap, and Elsa became aware of the gaping distance between them.

Hadn't she said she'd conceal to save Anna? And here she was, hurting her. Again. Like always.

Clenching her hands, she sucked in a breath; stood up and slipped in next to Anna. The princess latched onto her within seconds. She didn't seem to sense Elsa's hesitation to wrap her arms around freckled shoulders. It was a reason other than the tight hold Anna had her in that caused her breath to catch.

"I love you," Anna mumbled. "I just want you. I love you…"

Her words swiftly became a mantra as Elsa felt the top of her nightdress become damp. Something caught in Elsa's throat at the words, but she forced it down like so many other emotions. Anna needed her big sister right now, she told herself.

They sat there for Heaven's only knew how long, Elsa in silence and Anna repeating the same three words over and over again; "I love you." And Elsa could do nothing but run her hand through Anna's hair and rub her back as her sister calmed down.

How different their lives would have – could have – been.

And Elsa had been a coward, but she couldn't hide from herself. Taking a slow breath, she stilled her hands and pulled Anna a little closer, a little tighter.

"I love you, Anna," she whispered, hoping Anna hadn't heard the way her voice caught – the way it broke and lilted at the wrong spots.

"Elsa, I  _love_  you," the princess repeated. She moved away a little to look at Elsa. The Queen could only share a soft smile and nod.

"I know," she said. "I love you, too, Anna."

There was something in Anna's eyes that Elsa couldn't place. The smile slipped from her lips as her own blue orbs darted back and forth. "…Anna?"

Anna's eyebrows furrowed the barest hint as she moved closer again – not, this time, to hug her sister. "Elsa…" she began, just as the Queen could place a hint of frustration in her eyes. "Elsa, I love  _you_."

And then she closed whatever distance between them that remained and Elsa couldn't do anything but sit there because Anna was kissing her.

 _Anna_  was  _kissing_  her.

It could barely be labeled as such; the barest touch, really. Elsa wasn't even positive that  _that_  had just happened until she caught sight of Anna, blushing profusely. The frustration had morphed into something akin to horror, but there was no regret. No sadness or guilt.

"I don't need protecting, Elsa," she began. Elsa had all but forgotten their previous conversation. Perhaps Anna knew that, because she didn't speak again until Elsa's brain had caught up. "You wanted to know why I care about this? I care because I feel like  _you_  need protecting from yourself. Protected from making these stupid decisions that will only make both of us unhappy. I  _love_  you, and even if you don't love me, I can't bear the thought of you… giving up your heart when it doesn't want to be given. You want to protect me? Make me happy? Then don't do this to yourself."

She gave a small smile and slipped from the bed. Her clothing was horribly rumpled, and small goosebumps rose from her flesh, but she didn't seem to mind.

Anna paused when she reached the door, turning around once more. "I can't marry who I love anyway. Don't throw away your chance to be happy."

Elsa was a statue as the door clicked shut behind Anna, stiff and silent. She didn't move when it began snowing around her, and she didn't move when the clock struck the hour.

And when she did move, willowy fingers reaching up to rest against her lips, so similar and yet not to the way Anna's lips pressed against hers, she couldn't stop. The trembles ran through her body as she fought to abate them, shoving them down as far as she could.

And when she couldn't do that anymore, only then did she break, dissolving into broken sobs that echoed in the chilled air around her.


	7. Druid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you're still looking for prompts, how about an elsanna one with Ice!Sorceress / Frost giant Elsa and Wood nymph!Anna first meeting when Elsa is curious as to why there is a small patch of spring in her winter forest? :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I /loved this prompt, fyi. Like, ohmygod there was so much I could have done and I feel like I coulda made like, an entire fic about these two trying to co-exist. I went with a slightly different route (no dialogue!) because I wanted to give the story a different feel. I hope it worked :) (prompt by ticiatigr. or ticiatiger here/ffn. Go check out their stuff!)

There were few constants in the life of an ice druid. The sun would rise over her slip of world, lighting up the forest as it landed on the serene powder that coated every inch.

Winter. That was one constant. Elsa moved from place to place, bringing the frost and the chill with her as she settled down; only to feel the pull of the earth directing her elsewhere. That was another constant; the restlessness.

She had heard-tell of druids, loners in the far north who spent centuries without change, their world a never-ending icy field of wind and snow. The ones to the south, by comparison, seemed not to exist at all; they were young, Elsa reasoned, and hadn't grown into their skills yet.

The ancients lived in the foreboding north, and the children to the south. She was neither, stuck in between.

That was a constant, too.

Thus, Elsa did not know how to react when, upon travelling through her domain, she spied… green.

Green was  _not_  a constant. Green represented everything she wasn't: new life and growth; rebirth and colour…

Spring. Shifting seasons.

The seasons followed her; they did not intrude. And yet here it was, in the middle of her place in the world.

She furrowed her brows and took a step.

The grass was… strange. Damp, from her melting snow. Imbued with new life, it sprung up as she lifted her foot, hardly worried about being stood on or flattened.

This would not do.

Moving about, Elsa covered the clearing with powder; a small flurry above her head took care of the canopy of pines and other deciduous flora, while strong winds through the forest blew away all sign of colour, replacing it with the white wonderland that it should be.

The source of the season did not matter; it should not be here – not until the druid had moved on. The 'why' was something Elsa could neither answer nor care about.

That is, until after her work was done and she turned from the scene. In this moment, she found her path blocked by a creature she had no name for; a human, but… not.

She knew  _what_  it was, from the stories her kin would share. They were the folk who followed the winter druids, making once-inhospitable land fertile. They would follow the druids and bring  _life_.

And Elsa could see it, in the warmth of the creature's eyes, her dappled skin of freckles, framed by sunset locks. She could see the life wrought, while her ice-skin and white hair bleached the world of the will to move, to breath.

Elsa should have told her to move on; this was her territory, for now. The girl should not be here. But, from the ground beneath her feet sprung daffodils, bright and yellow, reaching out to a sun not quite strong enough to take them. From the sky fell leaves, the trees fighting themselves over the balance of winter and spring.

And Elsa found herself staying silent as she looked to the nymph (for it must be one, to have a face so pure and intentions so good. It must be a nymph to have a form so like the pitiful people who moved innocently through her land, their only thoughts on survival, but be far too beautiful to call themselves part of that race. It must be a nymph…).

She was silent as the flowers grew because she knew it didn't matter. The humans would not care that spring came early because… well…

Because Elsa didn't care, either.


	8. Unrequited (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa has a secret crush on her best friend Anna, who's going to spend a semester abroad. In the beginning they stay in touch every day, but Elsa starts noticing Anna's beautiful new friend showing up more often in her pictures, while her emails and skype sessions with Elsa get less frequent...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This reminded me of Språket so much omg. So, a lot of this is like, background stuff because I didn't want to make it too similar, y'know? But hey, I am a fan of unrequited love~
> 
> PART ONE OF **THREE**

In the beginning, they'd promised each other daily Skype calls and bi-weekly emails. Even if it was as short as five minutes, or as simple as 'hey, school is killing me. hope ur having fun! :)', it was the way the system worked. Facebook provided a small snapshot into each other's lives – things that became irrelevant and not worth mentioning often appeared on the social network.

They were best friends. Nothing could get in the way of best friendship, right?

But then… Anna stopped messaging. A missed call became two, then three, then four, and before Elsa realised it, it had been a month since she'd last seen the face of her best friend.

It didn't help that she still remembered every detail anyway. Every tone of Anna's laugh, every single one of her freckles. The way Anna would scrunch up her nose if she found something really funny, or how her eyebrows would furrow when she was confused.

It took Elsa a long time to come to terms with her feelings for Anna, and by that time, she'd known her best friend was going to be studying abroad. Why rock the boat? She had plenty of time to… prepare… for when Anna returned.

That was before. Before Anna left and started making new friends. She should have seen the signs sooner.

Anna had always been a social butterfly; Elsa had not. But when they were together, Elsa tamed Anna, and Anna encouraged her to be more open. They both helped each other in different ways.

It was during early high school that Elsa began to realise she was… not quite the same as other girls. Not quite the same as Anna.

Because when Anna would point out boys, Elsa would barely notice them. Facial hair disturbed her (while Anna seemed enamoured with moustaches), she she noticed not the bulging of some jock's muscles, but rather the slim curves that began to develop on the chests of her peers.

And she felt horrible, because she'd begun noticing a certain girl in particular.

All throughout high school, she'd kept a tight lid on her sexuality. It wasn't anyone else's business but her own. Anna dated a few boys, and while it stung a bit, she never moved far – she remained Elsa's best friend, no matter who she was dating. And Elsa accepted that because, well, having Anna as a best friend was better than not having her at all.

But then someone else appeared.

Anna didn't mention them in the few emails she sent. Nothing was said on Skype. But there was no way that the girl who suddenly appeared in Anna's profile picture, was tagged in every status, could be ignored.

"She's just a friend," Anna said when Elsa mentioned her. "She's so different to you – she's loud and drinks like a sailor. She's actually Scottish, so…" And Elsa could probably have guessed part of that from the girl's fiery red hair and wide grin. She did seem… jovial.

"What's her name?" Elsa asked, throat dry.

"Merida," Anna answered, a small grin forming where there wasn't one before.

And that should have been a sign.

But, Elsa was a fool, and likely a masochist, because she pushed her doubts to the side. She'd await Anna's next Skype call eagerly, all but stalking her Facebook.

The dread of slowly being replaced was a harsh pill to swallow – but Anna would be returning in a few weeks. And by then, maybe, Elsa would have worked up the courage to tell her how she felt.

It was three weeks before Anna was due to return when it all went downhill.

"Hey, Els!" she said one cheery Saturday morning. Elsa hadn't been sleeping well, but seeing Anna's face perked her right up. The corner of her mouth quirked in a smile.

"You're happy," she noted. Anna, biting her lip, nodded.

"Guess what?" she asked. Without giving Elsa a moment to reply, she steamrolled on. "My application was accepted!"

"What applica-"

"I'm staying for another semester! I got the scholarship!"

Elsa spent several moments wracking her brain, trying to remember when Anna had mentioned a scholarship, before she gave up. Anna hadn't said anything at all.

"Yeah, well, I wanted it to be a surprise. In case I didn't get it. But I'm so glad I did, I'm having so much fun!"

Elsa's heart clenched painfully, but she swallowed it down. "Oh?" she said instead. "I was… kinda looking forward to seeing you again. D-don't want anyone else to steal the position of 'best friend'," she joked – or, tried to. Anna didn't notice.

"Psh, you're always going to be my best friend, Els," she said flippantly. The sight of her smile ease the pressure in Elsa's chest, and she gave a small smile in return.

"Not even your friend Merida?" she asked. Time froze for a moment, and her face fell into expressionless horror. Why would she ask that?

But Anna didn't notice. She was looking away from the camera, face flushed. "You're my best friend, Elsa," she said softly, "Merida will never take your place. But I do… like her. A lot."

The sinking feeling was back, and this time, it was harder to ignore. Elsa held her breath, feeling as though each in- and exhale brought her closer to breaking. Closer to cracking and showing Anna how she felt.

But this? How was she supposed to take this? Elsa had survived high school liking – being  _in love_  with – her best friend entirely because she thought Anna didn't reciprocate-  _couldn't_ reciprocate.

She had thought being Anna's best friend was as close as she'd ever get. And she had made peace with that.

"Elsa?"

Anna's voice was soft, hesitant. She feared Elsa's reaction. But, Elsa couldn't give her one. She couldn't smile and say it was fine because it wasn't.

Clearing her throat, Elsa looked away. "I have to go, Anna. I'll call you later." Without waiting for a reply, she logged off.

Perhaps she should have made up some lie – told Anna that she needed to do chores or something. It was too late now. Her best friend was probably curled in Merida's arms, believing Elsa to have rejected the fact she likes a girl, when really…

…Elsa just didn't know how to deal with it. The fact that Anna liked a girl who… wasn't her.

And while Anna had someone to comfort her, all Elsa could turn to was an old stuffed toy and a predisposition for crying herself to sleep.

It was going to be a long, sad semester. And right now, Elsa only wanted one thing.

Her best friend.


	9. Hallelujah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by an [otpprompts](http://otpprompts.tumblr.com/post/124058891816/imagine-person-a-of-your-otp-has-been-depressed) submission on tumblr. Wanted to (once again) try something new. Angsty af but ends on a relatively happy note.

 

It was Jeff Buckley's fault.

Anna hadn't wanted to return. Hadn't wanted to stay away. She hated Elsa's apartment, but she didn't hate Elsa – could  _never_  hate Elsa. It had been a long time, though.

The haunting notes of that famous cover were playing, setting Anna's teeth on edge. She put her keys on the counter, flicked on a light. Took in her surroundings with a poorly-concealed grimace.

_She broke your throne and she cut your hair…and from your lips she drew the Hallelujah…_

Her sister's home, with its filthy walls and broken curtains. It smelt of musk balls and kitty litter, and Elsa  _tried_. She tried so hard. The place always felt ten degrees cooler than it really was. The sound of the song seemed amplified in the small space, echoing. Haunting

The landlord charged too much, but Elsa didn't care. Anna had asked her to move in to her home – there was space enough, with her and Kristoff and Olaf. Elsa had no reason to refuse, but did so anyway.

Fiercely independent, she was and always had been. She once shared as a child, allowed others to carry her burdens with her. But that changed; she was barely fifteen when  _she_ changed. The song became an anthem before it became a mantra. Anna hated it as a child. Elsa's room would ring with the sweet notes, muffled only by the door she refused to open. And Anna, the poor fool, only kept knocking.

_And love is not a victory march…it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah…_

It had been years since she'd been here. The last time, she'd stormed out, the silence after the storm following her. Their words had been explosive, actions even more so.

But that was a long time ago. Anna's hand drifted to the slight swell of her stomach, and she let out a sad smile.

Taking a breath, she roused herself from her thoughts; glanced around to seek out some small sign of life. Her feet moved silently beneath the ending notes of the song before it started up afresh.

Anna truly hated this song.

Her feet carried her through the small apartment. A messy mattress on the floor met her in one room. An old Windows PC met her in another. There was a bowl of cat food in the hallway, overflowing with biscuits, and a saucer for water a few metres down; the cat itself was merely a set of glowing eyes, peering from the gloom.

Anna felt her heart clench, for a reason she refused to fathom. It was just a feeling; a stone in her stomach, and an icy grip on her heart.

A faint light floated from beneath one of the doors – how she'd missed it at first, Anna couldn't say. Lost in memory, perhaps. It was the last one left.

_There was a time when you let me know…what's really going on below…_

The door squeaked; months or years of rust. It had to have been that long; the key to the apartment was given to Anna by their mother when Elsa first moved in. She didn't know about it – the key – but then, that didn't matter. No one visited. Agdar and Idun were the ones to pay for the place when Elsa flunked from college. When she lost her job. When she lost her heart and her hope.

Her first impression was that of darkness; the single bulb gave off a feeble light that barely illuminated the white-and-blue tiled walls. A small medicine cabinet was open, full of bottles and yellow canisters. Rolled up upon the counter was a tube of old toothpaste, discontinued months ago. White hairs filled a brush, lying haphazardly on the left side of the counter.

And Elsa, eyes wide and staring blankly at Anna. Shock, written in her beautiful blue eyes and open mouth; pain, written in the red, purple, white lines across her body and the bumps of her ribs. The tension steamed around them, making it hard to see, to breathe. Her fingers, pruned from the water, moved up to hug her chest, bringing to view more red. In her fingers was clasped a long object that shone in the pathetic light.

Everything about it made Anna sick.

"…Elsa…?"

And then the tears began. It was slow and quiet; the apartment still blazed with the gentle chords of the song as Elsa's eyes filled up before streaking down her cheeks. It felt sudden, but Anna supposed she should have seen the signs as her own vision blurred and her breath caught in her throat.

The poor slip of a woman who sat in the bath… Elsa began to shake, just a little, her eyes still fixed on Anna's. Anna felt it piercing her; felt like fire and desperation. It did not take her long to cross the small space, coming to kneel next to the cold rim.

Elsa didn't say anything when Anna dipped her hand into the frigid water, pulling the plug. She didn't fight back when Anna took her hands, taking the scissors and tossing them away. She didn't do anything because there was nothing to be done; Anna silently, carefully, dabbed away at the water. The pain in her eyes hurt far more than any marks the scratchy towels could irritate.

And when Elsa spoke, her voice was harsh, deep. Not the same timbre as Anna remembered. Not filled with the same light or the same joy. The whispered,  _choked_ , "I'm sorry," was nothing more than a painful reminder. And Anna wanted to ask. She wanted Elsa to talk and share; her burdens could be Anna's burdens, if only she'd let her. But all she could hear, all she  _would_  hear, were those same two words over and over and over again.

"I'm sorry…"

_It's not somebody who's seen the light…it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah…_


	10. Touchy-Feely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> drunktouchyfeelydoubleentendreinnuendofunny!Elsa … and Anna

_prompt from fozziewazxi._ _This is a short one. I was drunk when I wrote it._

* * *

Elsa seemed quite content to hang from Anna whilst the latter girl attempted to get her in the car. She'd never seen her sister quite as drunk as this before, and it was a sight to behold.

By the time they arrived at the car, Elsa had grown used to her level of intoxication. When Anna went to fish the keys out of her pocket, though, her usually-reserved sister showed an entirely new side. Elsa pushed Anna against the door of the car, pressing her face against Anna's neck.

The younger girl was infinitely aware of Elsa's breasts, pressed against hers. The way a slender leg had worked its way between her thighs or the fact that Elsa's hand seemed to be playing with the waistband of her pants.

"Mmmm," Elsa murmured into her neck. "Gods, Anna. You're so warm…" A wet sensation spread across her throat, and she had no idea if Elsa had licked her, or if she had… kissed her.

And then Elsa broke away, snorting with laughter. "Ohmygod, Anna, your face," she giggled. She held out her hand, and Anna looked bewildered for a moment at the keychain resting there. Oh. Her car keys. Elsa was digging in her pockets for her keys, not for…

She shook her head and proceeded to force Elsa into the car.

Thank heavens the girl was drunk. Otherwise she might have noted the flush on her sister's cheeks that refused to dissipate, or the soft glances Anna shot her way.

Thank heavens…


	11. Fiancé

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Prompt: I am in love with my brother's fiancée."

"Why does Hans get all the good girls?"

Anna grumbling to herself wasn't unusual. Particularly if the case of the grumbles pertained to her older brother, who seemed to have a knack for being successful while she trucked along, somehow avoiding complete failure while still never getting anywhere anyway.

Today's reason: Hans was bringing his fiancée to meet the family. Elsa something-or-other. Honestly, Anna hadn't paid attention.

Hans was bringing his fiancée, and Anna still hadn't told her family she was gay, or that she had the hots for a girl in her ethics class. Kristoff kept telling her to go for it (what did she have to lose, seriously), and she had no intention of actually 'coming out' to her family. It was information that wasn't pertinent to the functionality of their family unit.

Also known as 'none of their fucking business'.

Still, she mused to herself as she found a clean set of underwear and moved towards the bathroom, it could have been nice, maybe, having something in common with her brother. Unfortunately, though, the girls Anna tended to notice were also the girls that her brother noticed, and she was big enough to admit that he had her beat in the looks department. Also, the whole 'hetero' factor. Anna was… not good at attracting girls. Simple as that.

Which was why it would be totally awesome to gain the courage to talk to this girl in her ethics class who kept shooting her smiles. Maybe even just find out her name? She had blonde hair and always wore purple eye-shadow and probably wasn't gay. She probably only looked at Anna because she fell asleep regularly (or that time that Kristoff drew a detailed reindeer on her forehead in permanent marker). Being rejected because the other person wasn't into her like  _that_  was marginally better than being rejected for any other reason. She might get a friend out of it, maybe?

Slipping into the shower, Anna heard the doorbell ring downstairs. She should have cleaned herself earlier, but what was the point? Her brother's fiancée could wait. All she did was encourage the pestering.

"So when are you going to bring home a boy, Anna?"

"Got your eye on anyone, eh?"

"I can't wait until you have children!"

The last one was from her grandmother, and frankly, Anna couldn't think of anything more horrific. Losing her virginity would be a step in the right direction, but that depended on the whole 'people need to be attracted to me' to work.

Maybe she'd get drunk and go to a party or something one night. Get it over and done with.

But… she'd really like for it to mean something. She wondered, briefly ( _only_  briefly) if the blonde chick would be amicable to a bit of… fun.

Even if Anna mostly just wanted to cuddle and watch stupid movies and just be enveloped in a warm feeling of… well, warmth (don't say love, don't say love,  _don't_  say love).

"Anna!"

Anna almost felt relieved when she heard her name float up the stairs. Shutting off the water, she quickly dried her hair and got dressed. It was a summery sort of dress that she only picked because otherwise her mother would 'have words' with her afterward. And her brother, too, probably. He had a habit of trying to make himself seem fancier than he was – and, when he brought girls over, that extended to his family acting fancy, too.

But, that didn't save them from her sliding down the bannister.

She managed to refrain from squealing, though.

Straightening herself up, she let out a sheepish grin at the sight of her frowning mother. She didn't have a chance to say anything, though (apologise. Probably) because there was a light cough from behind her. Anna swung around, putting on her best 1000-watt smile and holding out her hand.

"Hi! I'm… Anna…" The grin dropped, as did her hand, at the sight of the woman in front her her.

_Ohhh fuck. Shit goddamn why does this always happen?_

Because standing in front of her was her brother's fiancée. Elsa.

Who also happened to be the girl Anna had been mooning over for the last six weeks of semester.

Who also happened to be the girl who had – well,  _seemed_  to – be reciprocating.

"I, uh… gotta go." Without a further explanation, she ran all the way up the stairs, slamming her door shut. She didn't bother moving to the bed; she just collapsed against the door.

All she wanted was a girl who liked her  _for_  her. A girl who would cry along to Disney movies and eat chocolate pancakes and hug her. A girl she could  _be_ with.

And out of all the girls in Anna's world, she had to fall for the one her brother got to first.


	12. Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There is a very small time gap between Anna's departure and Hans' arrival at the Ice Palace. Minutes maybe. Less than hour for sure. So Elsa didn't open the doors just to see what's going on when she heard a noise. She hoped that it was Anna returning and she ran to meet her and call off Marshmallow. But it wasn't Anna" by super-mam-te-moc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, written ages ago (may 28th) and I recently rediscovered it. Angsty and not fun and really short but I hope you like it anyway.

 

The giant snow golem had planted himself at the front of the palace, ready to face Anna if she attempted to return.

Elsa had planted herself just inside the door, waiting for the same thing.

" _I'm fine_ ," Anna had said, but wasn't that a  _lie_? Nothing was fine, could never be fine again. And what even did that word mean? A day could be fine – neither too hot nor cold, perfect to relax or work, inside or out. A fine day meant nothing. The word meant nothing.

And Elsa couldn't forget the feel of her power, swirling around the two of them. Anna had pressed on, ignoring her warnings. She'd pressed on and been injured because she'd refused to listen.

Circles, always running in circles. Hadn't that same thing occurred when they were children?

And once again, Elsa was alone. Just the way she preferred (not  _liked,_  because who could ever truly like this?). An hour, a day, perhaps, but she could feel the isolation (self-imposed though it was) eating at her. A summer sun thawing the fjord, she was slowly melting away to nothing.

How long could she hold herself together before she turned to ice or perished?

She'd sent away the only person who loved her unconditionally.

Head falling to her hands, Elsa bit her lip. The act – enough to draw blood, and bring forth a harsh pain that could never match the one in her heart – could be blamed for the tears that filled her eyes like a pond before they overfilled, the rivulets running like tiny waterfalls over her cheeks.

It had been years since she'd last cried, and now, she truly was alone, suffering in the glass prison that she'd thought was her salvation.

A sudden noise broke through her reverie, and she scrambled to her feet, wiping her cheeks. Turning to face the door, she heard the sound again – a low rumble that turned into a roar.

The golem.

_Anna-?_

Heart in her throat, tears brimming for a reason so polar to the one earlier, Elsa took a step forward. She felt so  _warm_ , a sensation so strange and new she may as well have been made of fire itself.  _Anna came back_. Choking back a sob, she smiled, flinging the door open.

The golem cried out again, and Elsa's went unheard.


	13. Librarians and Custard Battles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For gophersaurus, who (a very very long time ago) requested childrenslibrarian!Anna.

"Olaf? What're you doin' here, Bud?"

Anna knelt down in front of a young boy, perhaps six years old, who had picked up one of the padded children's books from a shelf. Despite the fact that Anna had only finished reading aloud to the children a few minutes ago (her story-time was the most popular out of all the volunteers!), Olaf had already gotten a fair way through the pages, slowly enunciating each word. When she addressed him, he pushed his too-big glasses back up his nose and looked at her with wide eyes.

Olaf was Anna's favourite out of all the kids she read to. He was quiet and courteous, always making sure to raise his hand if he wanted to ask something. He and his mother (a gorgeous lady. All tight pencil-skirts and neat blonde hair) stopped by regularly, but she was usually waiting for her son after story time). Actually, more often than not they were some of the first out the door (but only after Olaf had given Anna a hug goodbye).

But, Anna hadn't received her hug because Olaf hadn't left. Instead, he gave her a shrug. "Mommy had to go see someone," he said. "His name is Mr Kai and even though he has all these boring books on helping people he's really nice."

Anna grinned. "Books that help people aren't boring!" Olaf closed his own book and screwed his nose up.

"But these ones are massive." He enunciated the word by stretching out his hands. "They're really old and they don't have any pictures. She says its about custer- custo- custard law so she gets to spend all her time with me…"

Anna stared blankly at Olaf for a few seconds, mind trying to process both what he was saying, and what it meant. Olaf blinked at her until she gathered (at least partially) her wits. This was a can of worms she neither expected nor wanted to get into – she was studying theatre, not civil law! She inhaled silently.

"Well," she began, unsure of where she was going, "How about we go and find her and see if she can give you some custard, huh?"  _What the actual fuck Anna what are you saying?_

Olaf shrugged, but he stood up anyway. Putting his book back on the shelf (even in the right spot, Anna noticed with a smile), he grasped her hand and began leading her around the library.

"Now, what can you tell me about your mom?" she asked, as if she hadn't noticed the woman each and every time she walked in. God, those hips in her high-heeled business shoes. The first time Anna say her, she almost began salivating over the copy of  _The Faraway Tree_  she was reading. Luckily, she'd caught herself in time.

"Umm… she's super pretty! And tall! And she has a really big smile even if she seems really grouchy. She says it takes two cups of coffee for her happy bar to fill up, but I know I can make it go faster with a hug…"

Anna nodded while Olaf continued to speak. It wasn't long before he was talking about his favourite soft toy (a snowman named Marshmallow. "Obviously," he'd said, with more sass than Anna had ever heard from a pre-schooler) and how it had been a present from his mother the first Christmas they stayed together.

But then Olaf fell silent and Anna got a little worried. She glanced down only to find the young boy frowning, worrying his lip between his teeth.

"What's up, Olaf?" she asked. He gave another little shrug.

"Mama doesn't like talking about it," he said, as though that offered any explanation at all. But, It wasn't Anna's place to push.

Looking up, she wondered, briefly, if Olaf's mother had left – perhaps to get a coffee or something. She was just about to suggest returning to the children's section when she spotted a familiar flash of snow-white hair. The owner was sitting at one of the tables, alone, bent low over a book. She had quite a sizeable pile next to her. Anna was impressed.

She also half expected Olaf to call out to her, and was surprised when he didn't. Instead he just did a little jump and looked at Anna, his finger pressed against his lips. She nodded, and followed close behind him as he began to tiptoe forward.

He was right behind his mother when he shouted, "Boo!". And she  _shrieked_.

"Olaf!" she scolded, as soon as she'd caught herself. The other patrons had glanced around at the sound, and Anna could see a bright red flush crawling up her cheeks. "Olaf, this is a library!" He grinned sheepishly and climbed onto her lap.

"Wotcha reading?" he asked. "Anna read us about a magic pancake," he grinned. It was only then that his mother seemed to realise that there was another adult standing within her periphery. If anything, the blush became more pronounced, and she jumped p, holding her son secure in her hands.

"I'm so sorry about Olaf!" she began to apologise. "He doesn't know his own voice sometimes…"

Anna waved it off with a smile. "Nah, he's cool. He's actually like, the best kid we've got, believe it or not. You're doing a good job raising him."

At that, the other woman  _beamed_ , turning the expression to her son. Olaf had rested his head on her shoulder and was watching the two adults with a sort of detached fascination. His mother gave a little cough and jostled him, getting comfortable, before looking back up.

"Would you feel… amenable to letting me buy you a coffee?" she asked slowly, eyes flickering between Anna's own. "I mean, I basically use this place like a childcare centre. Something to just say thank you for taking care of my son…"

And now Anna was the one blushing. She had to actively force it down because no, this was just someone being nice. No one actually asked for dates anymore, anyway – her own lack-luster love life proved that. "Wow and I don't even know your name," she blurted. The other woman's eyes widened a fraction before a single, perfect eyebrow lifted.

She held out her hand. "I'm Elsa," she said. "Elsa Arendelle. And you already know Olaf…"

Both women glanced to the boy, whose eyes had shut. His chest rose and fell gently with each breath, and his hand had curled into a loose fist on Elsa's chest.

"You should probably get him home to bed," Anna commented. Elsa gave a small nod of agreement.

"Yeah… Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, um, Anna, was it?" When Anna nodded, she flashed a brief smile. "Anna. Are you free this time next week? We can go after the story time. If- if you want."

"Oh yeah, definitely! Next week would be great!"

"Perfect," came the gentle reply. "I guess I'll… see you then…" she said, trailing off.

Anna gave a small wave. "Bye!"

Elsa gave a jerky nod before she was on her way out. Anna watched her until she had disappeared behind a bookcase before turning around, fighting the smile that threatened to rise to her face.

It only got worse when her eyes fell once again to the pile of books that the young woman had collected. Stepping forward, she reached down and flipped closed the one that Elsa had been reading from.

This time, she had to bite her lip to keep the smile at bay.

The last book she had expected Elsa, the quiet, business-like mother of her most well-behaved story time participant to be reading, was one that Anna herself had read (though many years prior). But, she thought, looking down at the Calibri-fonted title splashed across a rainbow background, it was never too late to discover yourself.


	14. Miss Anna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't the way Anna expected her wedding night to go.
> 
> It was even better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anon: Elsanna ; Steampunk ; romance ; drama
> 
> Finishes at just over 4k words. **Slight Hanna warning** for the beginning, but nothing too bad.
> 
> This was beta'd by no-escape-from-the-storm-inside (thank you it really helped!). elsatheicebiotic also helped, too (but she's always helping, so… :P ). Ye be warned, but there is **some NSFW content** down the bottom. I probably failed 'steampunk' but hey, it was a challenge (and a learning experience) ^^: enjoy~

 

They'd presented her on the arms of Lord Westergaard. Miss Anna, of the Saxburg-Arendelle line. Now, Miss Anna Westergaard, wife to the youngest son of one of the greatest entrepreneurial families of the time.

Anyone who was anyone knew of Johann Westergaard, cousin to a Danish duke who had come to the New World to make his own fortune (and sow his seeds, as it would turn out). He'd simultaneously revolutionised air travel while breeding the most horrid heirs this side of the Atlantic. Lord Hans Westergaard was one such seed; one that had been planted in the finest soil and yet still managed to sink its roots into the cracks in the bedrock, feeding poorly and keeping bad company.

He was, in essence, not a nice man. But, with the strength of his father at his back, he was a  _powerful_  man. A powerful man who had turned his eye to a rich young lady who had neither the experience nor the foresight to reject his advances. They'd begun courting within the month. The ones succeeding that occasion had been the unhappiest of her life.

Anna shook her head of such disturbing thoughts. Lord Westergaard was good to her home and to her family; it was due to his kind patronage that she'd been able to stay at the small family cottage near Arendelle Cove (old land, of course). Significantly downsized, naturally – Heavens, they didn't  _truly_  need such slow servants – but still pleasant, even if many of the rooms were shut off due to… upkeep reasons.

Once more, Anna shook her head. It was a  _party_ , she told herself.  _Her_  party. Enjoy it. There was a wonderful automated string quartet, playing just loud enough to cover the churning of machinery beneath her feet, and yet not too loud as to stifle conversation. It, as well as the airship itself, was one of Johann's brilliant designs. He claimed there would be one in every airship by the next decade (and one airship to every hundred people), and that with such precision tuning, they would completely destroy any need for faulty  _human_  musicians.

Anna found the thought a little sad.

Smoothing her hands along her corset, she noticed Lord Westergaard's eyes travel down the front of her white bodice. Swallowing thickly, she breathed deeply, allowing her chest to expand and further lift. He gave an approving smile and turned away, discussing some trifling nonsense with another guest.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Anna let out a slow breath. It felt – oh Lord if felt so _improper_. To allow her skin to show above her bodice, to allow Lord Westergaard to feast his eyes upon her in the most inappropriate setting… perhaps other women would swoon, but not she. The mere fact that she was on his arm that eve gave her certain leeway she would frankly not prefer to use.

Alas, it was a useless thought, and she allowed it to pass without any further contemplation. Instead, she moved over to Lord Westergaard, a smile set to her features as she wrapped her arms around his own.

"Good evening, sir." She gave a short curtsy to the older fellow her husband was speaking. Hans immediately began introductions.

"Anna! This is the Duke of Weselton. We're discussing the trade of workers from his factories to ours. The price he's given is fantastic."

Miss Anna forced out a smile at the rat of a man in front of her. Her father would be so disappointed… and not because they were conducting business at her wedding.

But he wasn't here anymore, and she was doing whatever she could to stay afloat. Giving him another nod, "Delighted you could make it, sir," she said before turning to Hans.

"Should I, ah, fetch your drink?" she asked gently, almost murmuring the soft words into his ear. She knew his likes and dislikes – he  _liked_  it when she pressed her chest into his arm. Liked it when she offered to get his drink, pouring a little more brandy or bourbon into his glass than was generally polite. He could get away with it, though; his father had developed the technology for fermenting higher-quality alcohol. Not that he shared that information with her.

He gave her what she supposed was a chivalrous grin, thankful and kind in the eyes of others. The way his hand snaked down to rest in the most inappropriate of places destroyed that image for Anna, however she simply grit her teeth and continued smiling.

He released her only a few seconds later, giving a slight nod. "If you would be so kind," he told her.

Slipping from his side, Anna found the slight freedom to be a breath of fresh air. She adjusted the front of her corset, covering herself. She moved to the tables slowly, relishing in having some peace to herself. Truthfully, though, she only intended on being away for a few moments; Hans was not one to let her out of his sight any longer than necessary. Perhaps she'd take slightly longer if a glass needed to be collected, but only  _slightly_. That plan was scuppered when she realised that, in addition to the lack of glasses, there seemed also to be no alcohol.

She frowned. The other guests, and the waitstaff, didn't seem to notice her dilemma. In fact, upon glancing around the spacious room, Anna couldn't see any servers at all. Where had they gone?

Moving from the table, she edged her way to the side of the room. The grand arch was empty; no waitron in sight. Anna glanced back to her husband and, deciding that he was too busy, exited the room.

The corridor hummed with a life that had been vacant from the static guests inside the room. All talk and bribes and drink, she'd found. There was no real  _substance_ to those people. There was a band and yet no one danced. No wives gossiped, nor children playing amongst themselves. Anna sometimes wondered if  _they_  were the machines that had so come to dictate life.

Suddenly, she heard a scuffle up ahead. In her thoughts, she hadn't been watching where she was going, and was surprised to find herself in a dark hallway, the sounds of the pistons far behind her. The lights flickered, giving off an orange glow that barely illuminated the dank hallway. Swallowing her nervousness, she called out, "Hello? Anyone there?"

When no reply was forthcoming, Anna released a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding and sagged a little. Biting her lip and still searching the hallway, she came to the realisation that she had been wandering for quite some time. Hans would… not be happy. Anna squeezed her eyes shut and and turned around.

When she opened them, she jumped back in shock, tripping over her feet and landing painfully (and gracelessly) on the floor. She scrambled to her feet even as the stranger looked her up and down, gaze lingering at the exposed skin of her chest.

Suddenly, Anna felt very small. Which was ridiculous as her eyes rolled over the other person. Brown, loose-fitting overalls that hung off a slim frame (but didn't hide the evidence that the figure was a young woman, probably no older than Anna herself). She had a smudge of dirt on her face; a line of black beneath a sky-blue eye. Her hair might once have been bright, but after years of working it had lost its shine, and streaks of dirt had been twisted into it as it was braided.

"Thank goodness," Anna began. "I'm terribly lost. Possibly, you could guide me back to the party?" She let out a small smile, but the other woman gave no indication that she had heard, let alone understood. Perhaps the girl had been drafted from the colonies and didn't speak Common?

But then the girl opened her mouth and disproved that theory.

"You are quite far from your party," she said. "Excuse my forthrightness, but what reason does a young lady have for wandering these halls?"

Anna smiled. "I'm for sure not the only lady here," she said, looking at the other woman. "Your name? I'm Anna."

The girl frowned, a slight twitch of her eyebrows. "Miss Anna – as in, Miss Anna Arendelle, daughter of Lord Agdar Arendelle? The man who fought for the rights of the proletariat?"

Anna looked at her in surprise. "It's Saxburg-Arendelle, after my mother, ah," she replied. "But yes. My late father was known for his compassion regarding the working class."

"What are you doing at a party with the weasel Westergaard?" came the immediate response, and Anna bristled. The nerve!

"It isn't as though I had much choice!" she said. "The collectors made sure of that. If I wanted to save my mother from the workhouse, ah, sacrifices had to be made."

There was silence for a few moments, save for the sounds of their footsteps. Anna didn't recognise where they were anymore, and she scoffed as she came to a realisation. "Wherefore should I be telling you about this? 'S nothing that concerns a  _worker_."

And perhaps she hadn't meant to make it sound so vitriolic, but Anna didn't want to think about the other 'sacrifices' she'd had to make. Regardless of how she felt, no one would take her now. Not a woman with no money and no virtue. It was Hans, or be stuck as a spinster in a workhouse, scraping a living in the factories.

She didn't even realise when she began crying, fat tears leaking down her face as she gasped for breath. The other woman ushered her into an empty room and pushed her onto a chair. It must have been a sitting room of some kind, but Anna didn't have the ability to focus on anything but the soft hand rubbing circles into her back.

This must be a new low; crying about her life in front of someone whose own experiences must have been infinitely worse. She slowly stopped her tears, choking back the heavier ones and sniffling through the rest.

"'M sorry," she forced out. "You're really lovely and kind and a person's class is nary a thing to be scorned about. You probably can do things that I couldn't possibly dream of…"

There was silence behind her for a moment, and the hand rubbing circles on her back changed to fingertips digging into the flesh, finding the knots carried in Anna's shoulders and untying them.

"My name is Elsa."

Anna wasn't expecting the girl to speak, and it took several moments for that fact to sink in. The girl, Elsa, gave her a smile when she looked up, curious.

"Your father was very kind to us, Miss Anna," she said. "I know you meant no disrespect."

Anna nodded. Elsa's hands hadn't ceased their dance across her shoulder blades. If anything, the pressure was becoming stronger, and knots that Anna didn't even realise she had were loosening. That wasn't the only pressure, however; she found her naval to be curling in a most wonderful manner, heating up while her insides began to melt. Now, she made sure that Elsa couldn't see her – how red her face had become, how relaxed. She fought back a moan, but only succeeded in turning it into a hum (hopefully to be mistaken as one of satisfaction). She needed- she needed to get her mind off Elsa's fingers and the wonderful sensations they brought. Sensations she'd never felt, and likely never would again. That thought alone was enough to bring her back to partial sobriety, and she exhaled slowly.

"I can't win," she said softly, almost to herself. "I can't live up to my father's legacy – I agreed to marry to a man I don't even know, ah! Not only that, but a man whose ideology is so far removed from my own and from my father's. From the life he wanted for me…" She closed her eyes and focussed on the consistent, patterned feel of Elsa's hands. She didn't realise she had begun speaking, her mind (and body) lulled. "I don't want to be part of any of this, Elsa. I'm sick of trying to please _men_  – men like my husband. Ones whom could never bring my any form of happiness or pleasure, neither emotional nor physical, when it is not their company I long for."

The hands on her back froze for a single, short millisecond, and yet it was enough for Anna to realise what she had said. Her eyes widened and her chest heaved beneath her constricting corset.

Her reactions slowed, heat still bubbling in her center, she jumped up. Her eyes met Elsa's as she moved backwards towards the door. There was something in the other girl's expression, but Anna didn't have the capacity to think on it. She was busy trying to get her tongue to work; to think up any excuse that could rectify the situation. Instead, all she let out was a little whimper as Elsa moved forward. Her back hit the door, but still, Elsa came closer. Anna closed her eyes, willing away the terrible situation she had found herself in.

"P-please don't tell anyone…" she finally settled on, hands clenched in front of her middle. There was silence in front of her, and some vague part of her hoped that this was all a dream from which she would soon awaken. Suddenly, her hands were enveloped in a tight, but comforting grip, and she found the willpower to open her eyes.

Even in her fear, she couldn't help the way she catalogued the other woman's face. If this moment were the last she had of freedom, she would remember it the way she wanted; in the company of a beautiful girl.

It had been so long since Anna was awarded her own company, let alone company with another (who didn't include Hans as her… chaperone). Longer still had it been since she was free to gaze, unhindered, into the eyes of another woman. Elsa's eyes were so blue and warm; they stood out like hot coals on a dark night. A full moon, shining from behind the clouds.

But Elsa didn't speak, and Anna felt the compelling need to keep talking. Yet another thing she had to curb when in the presence of her husband.

"I didn't- I know it's wrong and immoral and I do promise I've not ever acted upon these feelings. I'm a good person! I'm a good person!" Her eyes desperately searched the worker's for some sort of understanding. "You mustn't tell, please!"

She didn't expect to see the fire burning bright in Elsa's eyes.

"Miss Anna," Elsa began. "You are a good person. You have resigned yourself to an unhappy fate to save someone you love. You believe that who you are is a choice? You… are not alone. There are many people out there – men, and women – who feel as you do. Love is never an immoral matter. If I may be so bold… you have already given your virtue? And mayhaps you did not wish to give it, correct?" When Anna gave a tearful nod, Elsa countered it with a soft smile. "You believe your feelings to be more wicked than the man you married to break your trust?" Elsa sighed, and Anna became aware of their fingers, wrapped together.

"You…" she started, "You have… also… given your virtue?"

Elsa nodded. "To a woman. One whom I held very dear."

"But no longer?" Anna prompted, eyes riveted on their intertwined hands.

Elsa laughed; a soft, gloomy sound. "No longer. She was taken. Made an example of by the men who run this world. Who don't believe in love." She paused, for a moment, and Anna was unable to keep her eyes on her hands. Instead, they flittered up to meet Elsa's. "People like your husband. That's the kind of world I cannot live in- refuse to live in. And neither, I think… can you… If I had a plan to see this age end, would you fight me? Fight for what is traditional and established, and ruin any chance at your own happiness? Or would you stand by me as the foundations of the world are broken and forged anew?"

Anna felt a violent blush climbing her cheeks, unused as she was to the intense gaze that was directed her way. There was something in the way Elsa spoke that had her stomach bubbling, unsettled and uncertain, but she couldn't quite place it. "I- I… I can't…" she whispered. "To go against Hans is to incur the wrath of the man who owns me. I can't, no matter how much I should wish to… N-now, I should really be returning to the party. My husband will be worried-"

"Have you ever kissed a woman, Miss Anna?" Elsa interrupted. In truth, Anna was grateful. She did not have the courage to answer properly. Tradition was all she had left of herself (and yet even that was destroyed, an insidious voice whispered. She'd destroyed custom when she gave herself to Hans). Who would choose pain of a life you didn't want over fighting for the one you did?

She roused herself from those thoughts as Elsa began speaking once more. Her voice was softer, gentler. This time it felt like nostalgia and experience. "Have you ever felt the softness of their lips against yours; have them moan into your mouth as they press closer, closer, until there's no more distance to be crossed and yet you still can't get enough. Have you ever wished to go further? Ever wished for it to be not a man, heavy-bodied and heavy-minded, entering you, but the dainty fingers of a woman who knows your body better than you do; who understands what will make you fall apart, shuddering beneath ministrations so tender you wonder how they could possibly make you feel so much?"

Elsa seemed oblivious to the way Anna's breath came in ragged spurts. She seemed the least bit fazed by her reddened cheeks, or the blatant way in which she clenched her hands, eyes flicking from them to Elsa's eyes and then her lips. When she finally managed to shake her head, the small smile that Elsa gave was almost her undoing.

Instead, Elsa leaned forward, careful not to let a single inch of their bodies touch as her lips came to rest mere millimetres from Anna's.

"Would you like to?"

Against her own will, Anna's hands came up to rest on Elsa's shoulders. The rational side of her mind had every intention of pushing her away; of calling to her husband and having the worker arrested for- well, she didn't know. Provoking adultery and preaching homosexuality.

But Anna didn't do that. Couldn't do that because what Elsa had said had taken root in her mind and in her heart. Because Anna's life, despite her standing, had not been happy. It had been hard and painful and she wanted a moment of peace. A moment in which she didn't have to worry about who she was, or what her lineage dictated she had to be.

She wanted a moment in which she could abandon all reasonable thought and kiss a girl because she wanted to, without fearing the repercussions.

So, she did.

Elsa's lips were hot and wet and oh so wanting against her own. Her eyes fell shut at the sensation of Elsa's hands in her hair, threading through the silky strands as a delicious pressure enveloped her body. The hard wood of the door stood in stark contrast to the softness of Elsa's body, pressed as it was against hers. Anna never imagined another person could feel so good. Could taste so good.

And then their teeth were clashing and Elsa's hands moving, leaving searing trails over her bodice and along her flesh, fingertips digging into the softness of her breasts and stomach. Her own hands filled themselves with the weight of Elsa's breasts, and she released a shuddering breath into the mouth of the fair woman.

"I want you," she whispered, voice husky and roar. The sheer  _need_  that had taken over her mind was nothing next to the furnace in her torso, warming her heart and burning low and pleasurable in her navel.

Elsa's hands left her chest, only to jump to the flesh of her backside. Anna's breath hitched as she felt the length of her dress slowly being lifted up, and yet she did nothing to stop it. All she could think of was Elsa's mouth moving against hers, the kiss turning sloppy as she began to nip and suck at the underside of Anna's jaw.

Hans had never done this. They'd get onto his bed, her back against the mattress as he'd press into her. He'd thrust without care and leave her to clean up afterwards.

The only time they'd kissed had been for show, his face scratchy and smelling of oil.

It was nothing like kissing Elsa, and for a moment, enough clarity shone through for Anna to realise what she was doing. Her hand reached down to halt Elsa's and the path it was cleaving towards her inner thigh. Her other hand came up to ever-so-gently push her away, their eyes coming to meet each other's like a magnet. Elsa's lips shone, bruised and swollen, and her eyes were a dark blue, emanating a want that Anna had never felt directed towards her.

But still… "We shouldn't be doing this. It's  _wrong_ ," she began. What would her father say? Elsa leaned forward, placing a wet, open-mouthed kiss to Anna's cheek.

"What's wrong?" she murmured. "Being happy? Feeling wanted? You aren't made to please a man's every whim, Anna. No one is. And those men, all of them… they'll get what's coming to them. So please, for tonight…" She trailed off and moved away slightly, and Anna couldn't completely bite back the whimper she released at the loss of Elsa's body against her own. Elsa grinned at her before pressing a heady kiss against her lips once again. "This is your wedding night, Anna. Do what you want…" she said as soon as she released Anna's lips.

It took Anna only a few moments to decide what she wanted, and several more to gain the courage to act on it.

Grasping Elsa by her shoulders, she pulled the other woman close, connecting their lips in a searing kiss. "You," she mumbled. "Want you, you, you. Please…"

Elsa was happy to oblige.

Her fingers resumed their path towards Anna's center. She groaned as Anna did when they moved against the slick flesh, and within seconds she had slipped inside. She cut off Anna's choked cry with another kiss, letting her lips and teeth roam the girl's face as her fingers slowly began to move. Her thumb circled the sensitive little nub at the top of Anna's slit, and she heard the girl's breath catch.

Anna's hands had moved up and under Elsa's arms, holding onto the other woman in a pseudo-hug as her hips rolled. Her forehead came to rest on Elsa's shoulders even as Elsa's free hand slipped under her thigh, lifting it to hook onto her waist.

There had never been a time when someone had been so focussed on Anna, on her feelings and her pleasure. It was nothing more than a gentle hand between her thighs, stroking and coaxing a warmth that had been felt but never tended to before. She heard a voice crying out – one that couldn't possibly be hers – but Elsa's lips were planted against her throat, moving steadily downwards and to the tops of her chest. For once, she felt her body was a true temple; something that which could be loved, and love in return. Elsa did  _something_ , twisting and rubbing and pressing, and with a strangled moan, Anna threw her head back.

There were tears in her eyes as she came, shaking and shuddering around Elsa's fingers.

She didn't want to move in the succeeding moments. The seconds ticked into minutes as Elsa slowly lowered the leg still clasped around her waist and pulled her fingers from Anna.

It was only when a tentative thumb swiped across her cheek that Anna looked up, uncertainty in her eyes. Elsa seemed to have no such reservations as she leaned forward and captured Anna's lips in another kiss. This one didn't hold the same fire, the same passion, as earlier. It held something different. A softness that brought with it promises. A promise of happiness, comfort. A promise of a friend and a lover. And maybe… just maybe… the promise of love, too.


	15. The High Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Humans aren't allowed in their city. It isn't a rule – it's a way of life. So what makes this girl so special? [elf!Elsa and human!Anna]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the first version of an elf fic I'm writing. I then rewrote the entire beginning, and it's still being done (it's over 19k words now). I just wanted to share this snippet :) I decided I wanted to explore the themes I'd introduced here further (because I always have a backstory for my characters, even if I don't get a chance to show the readers). Anyway, enjoy!

 

The council is in an uproar, and High Queen Elsa can do nothing to silence their cries. Her people, usually so soft and peaceful, are crying out for a trial (to end in execution, she knows).

Her people are crying out for the blood of a single girl. This is more than enough reason for Elsa to demand her presence. She must see for herself this girl; see where the anger has come from. Few can rouse the Elves to move, and yet this girl has done so without even a word.

She's brought to the throne room, which is mercifully silent. Her guards, her citizens; they all conduct themselves with the poise expected of their kind. They do it, Elsa knows, to send a message. The Elves are known for their longevity, their devotion to peace and luxury.

They are also known for their rage and bloodlust when on the field of battle. With so much time and so little to fill it, it is not difficult to master weapons. It's not difficult to master magic and spells.

Thus, Elsa doesn't need to say anything to have the girl brought to her knees. She knows to bow; show deference. She hasn't looked at Elsa once, but it matters not. Elsa can see where the problem lies.

For this girl is not a High Elf. She doesn't belong here. Her fiery red hair and smattering of freckles reek of human, and yet no human could possibly find their home. It is impossible. Elsa created the wards and spells to shield her people from non-magic folk; several generations of Elves have lived with the comfort of that knowledge.

Several generations of Elves could be more than a few hundred years, but no where near long enough for her spells to fail.

So how did this girl penetrate her strongest magic?

Finally, after several moments of introspection, Elsa speaks. Her voice is gravelly and low, so different from the light timbre so common in her people. Her tone rings with greater authority, and every single person in the great hall falls silent at hearing her speak.

"Girl," she says, "How did you enter here? How did you find this place?"

The girl remains obstinate and silent, gaze locked to the floor. Elsa leans forward and repeats the question; still, the girl says nothing. With a curt nod, Elsa commands one of the guards tasked with watching the girl. He steps forward and forces her head up.

"Kjærlighet..." The word comes out as a breath, and if her people were not upset already, they certainly are now.

The redhead does not take any notice of the word. With a growl, she tries to shake her head free of the Elf who holds it. She fails, and it's only because Elsa makes a small motion with her hand that the guard releases her at all.

"Why are you here?" Elsa repeats, but it sounds different. The authority in her tone has vanished, replaced by something small and tentative. The girl seems to notice, because she fixes Elsa with a strange look before opening her mouth.

"I was following my heart," she says, and Elsa's breath catches in her throat.

 


	16. "m!AU NSFW TyZula WIP"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I accidentally emailed my smut fanfiction to my English teacher."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have been very good at doing absolutely everything *but* study for an oral exam on thursday so here. have a ficlet. based on a prompt from tumblr. as with most of my non-ask tumblr prompts, this one started as a prompt continuation and ended up a ficlet, so 'scuse the funky beginning. enjoy.

They have an comparative assignment due in a couple of days on language use in _The Taming of the Shrew_ versus _Henry VIII_ , and Anna's sure Elsa's going to set the bar pretty high. She's quiet and studious and never fails to surprise and interest. She's a little _too_ quiet, Anna thinks to herself sometimes. She doesn't seem to have many friends. But, she doesn't seem unhappy. Just wants to do well on her studies, perhaps.

They've been emailing back and forth, Elsa checking and double-checking whether her assignment (form of common adjectives) falls within the correct parameters. They've pretty much squared away the issues, which is why Anna's a little surprised to get one more email from her student. It's titled 'Rough Draft 2' which is fair enough.

Thus far, Elsa's hasn't submitted any drafts, though the criteria sheet does say that they can have the teacher make sure they're on the right path. Anna's just about to go to bed, but hey, she likes Elsa. If the girl is up this late worrying about her assignment, the least Anna could do, while _she's_ up, is check it for her.

There's no title yet. Or, not one that Ana can make out. She honestly has no idea what "m!AU NSFW TyZula WIP" means, but hey. If it makes sense to Elsa, that's all that matters at this stage.

Anna skips the introduction, because she knows it'll bias her with the rest of the essay. If she knows what Elsa's going to talk about, then she'll look for it. This way, the content has to be up to par. She's a little confused for the first sentence because, already, this… doesn't really sound like an academic assignment. It's too. Flowery. Informal. She skips a couple of paragraphs, only for her hand to dart to her mouth.

"… _her hand against my breast, and I bit back a gasp. Ngah! Oh Spirits. I knew fire burned, but this, this was different. With all my flexibility, the handcuffs locked around my wrists only deepened the heat in my pussy. I felt a hard slap on my bare ass, even as her other hand made soft scratches down my belly, and only descending further._

 _'Oh, so wet already-'_ "

Anna slams the lid of her laptop shut, eyes wide.

Oh. Gosh.

She's distracted when her phone gives a beep. There's another email from Elsa. She almost doesn't want to open it, but it's better to get this over with.

 _Hi Miss Arendelle.  
I hope you slept well.  
_ _Please ignore the previous email, it was an older draft. Feel free to delete it, as the updated copy is attached to this email._  
Good day,  
Elsa

Oh gosh. Quickly tapping out a reply, a quick, "I'll read that one in the morning," Anna puts her phone on silent and her computer back on the desk. She's just about to fall asleep, really, when her eyes jolt open and her stomach curls in on itself.

That one. She'll read that one, as though she has (and she _has_ ) already read the other one.

She has no idea how she's supposed to face Elsa tomorrow. Quiet, studious…kinky Elsa.


	17. Building Snowmen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was one of the first drabbles i ever wrote for this fandom. i just found it again lol

It wasn't strange for Anna to miss Elsa at breakfast. The young monarch was consistently up at the crack of dawn to prepare for the day. Anna knew this only because of the strange (if not unwelcome) habit her sister had for sneaking into her room and placing a warm kiss on her forehead.

"Good morning, Anna," she'd whisper, to which Anna would drowsily mumble her own greeting before falling back asleep.

It wasn't strange for Anna to miss Elsa at breakfast because she usually slept half the day away anyway. The servants gently pushed her in the direction of the dining room when she somehow found herself in the western portrait room (the only portrait room she avoided consistently because the pictures were rather dark and sad and didn't like talking much). Wandering through the cold hallways, she had the strangest sensation she was missing something. Which would probably be rectified if she could keep her eyes open instead of relying on muscle-memory to get her to the dining room.

Huh. She literally _could_ get there in her sleep…

She was halfway through her oatmeal, staring blankly at the seat opposite her, before she realised that contrary to every other day, this one wasn't empty.

A snowman was staring back at her, grinning, a twiggy arm raised in a wave.

Nope. Not this morning. She'd stayed sane for 13 years. She wasn't going to go crazy today

"… 'M going back to bed…"

Getting up, she trudged back to the hallway. The servants that had been bustling there only a few short minutes earlier seemed to have vanished, and tentatively, she pushed open the door.

_Oh my heavens…_

Snowmen. Snowmen _everywhere_. All in different positions and places- was that a snowman _wedding_?

Okay, so she wasn't going crazy. Biting back a smile, Anna walked in the opposite direction of her bedroom, towards Elsa's study. She took time to look at each snowman, appreciating the detail put into them.

Or, rather, lack thereof.

How the heck had she missed these on her way to food- well, that was the answer, wasn't it…

Following a trail of several little snowmen playing tag, lingering at a fat one eating a carrot, she almost missed Olaf, who was hugging a little snow-girl (if the flower on her head was any indication). Anna would have missed him entirely had he not seen her first and called out her name.

"Anna! Look at all the snowmen!" She grinned at him.

"They're wonderful. Did you make them?" she asked, more out of politeness than anything else. She already knew who had done the snowman.

Regardless, Olaf shook his head. "Nope. Elsa made them all. One thousand, eight hundred, and twenty-three. She made me a friend!"

Grabbing the hand of the snow-girl he had been hugging, he tugged. It popped right out of her body, and he gave a sheepish chuckle. "Heh… we're gonna stay here… Say thank-you to Elsa for me!"

Without another word, he popped his friend's hand back in and toddled off to… go and do something. Anna could never predict what when on in his little snow-brain, but she simply shrugged it off. She had a big sister to see.

As she walked down the hallway, she noticed a difference in the creations. Slowly, they were getting bigger, more elaborate—but, they were also getting sadder. If snowmen could even be sad. Olaf never was. Not really.

But the smiles vanished. They stopped doing things—they'd just… stand there. A hand came up to cover Anna's mouth as she looked on.

Standing in front of Elsa's study were two snow-people, their features so accurate and precise. If Elsa had spent half the night on the other thousand-and-whatever number of snowmen, she spent the other half on these two.

With a regal expression on both faces, Anna found herself looking at her parents, staring blankly with hollow eyes.

Was this how Elsa remembered them? Cold and distant? Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, she stepped forward. Without bothering to knock, she entered Elsa's study.

The sight that greeted her would, once upon a time, have set off the most playful side of her. Now, gazing into the snow-covered room, it was a deep-seated fear and worry.

The only time Elsa lost control was… well, was during _bad_ times.

Glancing around, she found her sister hunched over the antique desk, a quill held in her limp grip. Rushing forward, Anna kneeled next to her. The snow on the floor began to seep through her nightdress, but her attention was focussed on Elsa, looking so soft and small, surrounded by paperwork.

"Elsa?" Anna asked softly, placing a hand on her sister's arm, brushing her hair from her face where it had fallen from her braid.

Elsa twitched for a moment before slowly opening her eyes. "Elsa, are you okay? What's- your powers?"

"Morning, Anna," she answered, ignoring the questions. A small smile appeared on her face as she looked away, almost nervous. "I'm fine. I'm really good. I just…"

She trailed off, hands fidgeting as she looked away for a moment.

"What is it, Elsa?" Anna asked. "You can talk to me about anything, you know, right?"

Elsa nodded. "I just wanted to ask…" she began, swallowing. Anna nodded her head, trying to find that line between encouraging and and impatient. She almost missed the smirk that appeared on her elder sister's face as Elsa looked at her from the corner of her eyes.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?"


	18. Impossible Things (part two)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part 2 of 'impossible things', and second part to a two-chapter update. previous one is unrelated but if you don't wanna miss it, make sure to go back a chapter!
> 
> also kudos to angstfish on tumblr. for elsanna week she even drew fanart for this. there will be one more part with actual romance.

 

It had been two months, one week, and five days since Anna had taken over care of the nøkk they had come to refer to as 'Elsa'.

She'd made next to no progress rehabilitating her.

It wasn't that the nøkk was stupid – far from it. She just refused to behave. Some of it was endearing (or, at least, not dangerous).The fish in Anna's face was the first of many mischievous pranks the redhead had to endure. In particularly, Elsa liked to turn invisible and then reappear inches from Anna, scaring the bejesus out of her. It was fine the first few times, but then Hans, the Director of Marine Rehabilitation, caught wind of what was going on and put a stop to it.

Anna knew he was just looking out for her – if she fell into the pool and was injured, she could _die_. It didn't matter how friendly Elsa seemed, that might all change when Anna was within her grasp as a tasty meal. But, she still didn't appreciate him waltzing in on her turf and telling her how to deal with an excitable nøkk. Sure, it may not be the best way to go about things, letting Elsa get away with these, but it was a sign that Elsa was improving. Learning how to have _safe_ fun with humans was all part of the process.

It brought a smile to Anna's face when she realised that despite the new restrictions, Elsa didn't let it stop her. That was a _good sign_. That Anna had only had to explain it to her once that she wasn't allowed to do it anymore for her to stop was a good sign. It meant that she understood, and could follow, directions. Just because she liked wetting Anna's white uniforms and taunting her with a mocking grin didn't mean she needed to be punished, as Hans would have liked Anna do. Whenever Anna walked the platform that reached from one side of Elsa's tank to the other, the nøkk would steal fish and offer smiles in return. She laughed sometimes, too, and Anna wondered why Hans ever thought them dangerous.

Then, he pretty much proved it. Anna had come own with the flu and had been bedridden for several days before the incident. Kristoff was out relocating a Jörmungandr , and so it fell to Hans to take care of Elsa; simply put, no one else had the skill or experience to deal with her. When he'd arrived at the tank, though, she was nowhere to be found.

No one was worried, of course – invisibility was frustrating, but there was no way she had gotten out. So, he'd put her food out and left. When he came back the next day, it hadn't been touched.

This went on for three days before deciding that he had to do something. The video cameras showed Elsa surfacing, sniffing the food but turning away, so she was definitely in the tank. Putting on his suit, Hans jumped in the tank to find her.

He barely managed to get out in time.

When Anna finally returned, she was expressly forbidden to enter the tank (not that she would have anyway). "She's absolutely not ready," Hans said, and while Anna disagreed, she understood where he was coming from.

Thus their relationship continued. Other creatures were rehabilitated, but not Elsa. Soon, she was the only one Anna was taking care of. Hans tried again to enter her tank, at Anna's behest, about a month later. Elsa was so much better. She'd play and laugh and never tried using her powers against Anna (though it would have been easy enough). But once again, she lashed out at Hans.

"You're not going in there with that monster, Anna," he said to her under his breath as he was leaving. Anna looked sadly at the tank, watching Elsa swim around. She was agitated, the red-head could tell, but there was nothing she could do. With a sour nod, she agreed to Hans, and he stalked from the room.

Anna was repairing a light above Elsa's tank when it all went to hell.

Elsa's tank was enormous; big enough for a small island in the center for her to retreat to. She wasn't there often while Anna was around, though, instead preferring to spend her time watching the red-head woman. She'd decorated it with her own ice and snow, frosting the water at the edge of the tank and reducing the temperature to something comfortable for her. Hans disagreed with it, but Anna had argued quite passionately that they weren't going to get anywhere without Elsa being happy and comfortable in her own home, so he had grudgingly allowed it.

It also meant that the rest of the room became quite cool, with Anna's breath rising in wisps above her every time she spoke. She wore a special thermosuit, but still had to bundle up.

When the light popped above Elsa's tank, it was ten in the morning on a Saturday, and the usual guy refused to come out for anything less than an actual disaster. Hans had waved Anna away, telling her to 'just hurry up and fix it', and that's what Anna had done. She'd turned the power in the room off, wary of electric shock, and grabbed one of the steady ladders and a new bulb. Kristoff was standing at the base, making sure she was okay as she stood precariously on the beams that ran across the ceiling. She had her torch; they'd accounted for everything.

Everything except the frost that permeated every single surface. It only took one false step for Anna to slip and lose her balance and plummet to the ground.

Kristoff saw everything as though it were in slow motion. Anna's scream as she slipped, and the splash that followed. He rushed forward, dropping the ladder to peer into the depths of Elsa's tank. Armed with only a puny torch, it was almost impossible to see anything. His heart beat furiously in his chest with each passing second, and he groped for the radio in his belt to call for help.

"Hans!" he cried into the speaker. "Get here now! Anna fell into the tank and I can't see her!"

_crzzzzch Kris- crzzch -way. Stay th- crzzch_

Heart in his throat, he waited desperately for some sign of his friend.

Elsa had been swirling around her tank, focussing on the movement. She did not like the dark – dark mean hibernation, meant vulnerability. Anna had assured her it wouldn't be too long, and she believed her.

And then a body was crashing through her water, jolting her from her reverie. She recognised the body straight away, and darted forward, grabbing them from the bottom of the tank.

_Anna...?_

She wasn't moving, and as Elsa's hands came up to cup Anna's face, she realised the girl was bleeding. She could taste it in the water, see it in wisps that flowed from the back of her head.

Kicking with her tail, she swam away from the edge and towards her island. With little effort, she heaved Anna onto the edge, watching as the white snow beneath her became stained with red. There was a hiss from the edge, and Elsa looked up to see Kristoff looking at her, face pale and drawn.

"Elsa!" he called out, but he didn't have the chance to say anything when the doors burst open and Hans entered, flanked by two men with tranquilliser guns. She bared her teeth and crouched low over Anna, even as Hans demanded she back off and let them retrieve the red-head.

She could see one of the men raise his gun and point it at her, but he missed and the dart landed harmlessly next to her. The other raised his own weapon, but in a moment of anger, Elsa picked up the dart and pressed it against Anna's skin. The warning was clear: _don't_.

Hans made a motion, and both his goons stepped back. He began speaking but Elsa ignored it, to intent at watching Anna. The blood hadn't stopped seeping from her head, and when she pressed on her chest, water dribbled from the corners of her mouth.

_Anna..._

A finger trailed from the corner of Anna's eye to her chin, coming to rest on her lips. She was still breathing. She was broken from her stare when she heard a sound from across the pool.

"On her side!"

Elsa whipped her head up at the noise, and growled. Kristoff had moved to the side, away from Hans and his men. His eyes wide and imploring, he called out again.

"Roll her onto her side! She'd got water in her lungs. Elsa, you're killing her!"

Elsa's face fell, and she looked between Anna and Kristoff for a moment. His eyes weren't lying, and with some effort, she managed to roll Anna onto her side. Tentatively, she pressed Anna's chest again, and without any warning Anna heaved and convulsed, spewing water over the snow. She coughed and hacked, and though Kristoff looked relieved, she could see the fear in his eyes.

They weren't going to try to get Anna while she was there.

The men around Hans kept their torch-light focussed on her. She couldn't think. The light flashed on the head of the dart, and struck with the beginnings of an idea, she reached forward and grabbed it between webbed fingers. It glinted, and her eyes widened in a sudden realisation. She could still do something to help Anna.

Looking Hans square in the eyes, she jabbed the tip into the top of her tail, where the skin turned to scales and the flesh was thick and muscled.

The last view Elsa had before slipping, unconscious into the water, was of Anna's green eyes, looking at her beneath a film of salty tears and near-death.


	19. Impossible Things (part three)

"Hey, Elsa…"

Anna's voice was soft as she spoke to the side of the tank. Elsa was there, she was sure of it, but the nøkk remained obstinately invisible.

She'd been like that for two weeks now, ever since the accident. Anna had been in the infirmary for a week with a concussion and a fractured tailbone from where she had landed. The medic wanted to be sure that she didn't have any more water in her lungs, either.

All Anna had cared about was the nøkk. She had no memory of the accident, but Kristoff had been more than happy to fill her in on the details. She'd slipped and fell, right into the tank.

Elsa had saved her. Hans had called her a monster, but she'd  _saved_  her.

It was why Anna was here, late at night. Kristoff was floating around, but that was more to make sure that Hans wasn't. The redheaded man had left hours ago, and he wasn't one to return unless he was getting paid for it. Still, one couldn't be too sure.

Especially with what Anna had planned.

Swallowing, she said Elsa's name again. When the nøkk didn't reply, that was when she began moving. She pick up a pair of rubber fins and climbed the ladder that went up the side of the tank. Elsa still didn't appear as Anna slipped the fins over her feet, though she was sure the nøkk was close.

Sitting above the tank, Anna's breath began rising as warm steam. Elsa often kept her tank at a cool temperature, but this seemed even colder than usual. Closing her eyes and sucking in a breath, Anna moved.

Like rock, she dropped. It was just as graceless as the last time she'd fallen into the tank, but this time she was expecting it. Even expecting the cold, to a degree. She'd worn a full body swimsuit, and it helped a little. She wouldn't immediately freeze – no, this way she had at  _least_  ten minutes.

If she could find Elsa.

Maybe the nøkk would come to her, though. Anna remained still save for her treading in the water, trying to determine where Elsa would be. Probably not on her little island. She preferred to be in the water, Anna had realised quite early on in the rapport-building process. That didn't mean she liked others being on her island. Anna could still see a splash of red colouring the snow – Hans' men hadn't been able to get close enough to clean it.

Every time they'd tried, she'd begun to sing, luring them to the water for them to drown.

This was a bad idea. This was a  _really_  bad idea. Heart racing, Anna wasn't quite as confident in Elsa's trust of her that she wouldn't meet the same fate as she had been before she'd jumped. Turning, she began moving towards the edge.

She froze when she felt something brush against her, just for a moment. Of course, it didn't have to be Elsa. It could be a piece of one of the plants. It could have been a random current. In a pond.

Only a few more feet. Anna had just about made it to the edge when she felt something again. Something much more deliberate. It brushed against her again, a gentle touch against her hip, before it disappeared. Then, it reappeared at the opposite elbow.

"E-Elsa…" Anna stuttered, just as a hand slid into hers and Elsa appeared, the invisibility falling off her like water. With a gasp, Anna's back hit the edge of the tank. Elsa just pushed closer, and Anna shivered – from both the water and the moment.

The intensity was unmatched to anything Anna had ever experienced. She was sure that, had she been standing, her legs would have given way beneath her. When Elsa lifted a webbed hand, Anna couldn't bite back the little whimper.

It wasn't borne of fear, even though Anna had every right to be terrified. The tenderness with which Elsa ran the tips of her fingers down Anna's cheek was boggling. When she moved it up to touch the back of Anna's head, the meaning was clear.

"You saved me, Elsa," Anna said softly. It was then that she realised just how stupid she'd been. Elsa would never hurt her. Elsa cared about her. Elsa trusted her.

Shouldn't she do the same?

"How are you feeling?" she asked, voice low. "When you refused to be seen, I- I got scared. Thought you hated me or something." Elsa's eyes widened and she shook her head emphatically. She didn't speak, but then, she never did. "Did you wanna maybe go for a swim together?" Anna asked. "Or I could go and get some treats, or-"

Elsa was shaking her head again. "Elsa, did you… maybe have an idea for something you wanted to do?"

Finally, a nod. And a smile, albeit a shy one. Anna cocked her head, encouraging. "Well, let's do that." Blinking, the small dropped, just a fraction. This time, Anna nodded. "I trust you."

Suddenly, Anna was shocked to see tears forming in Elsa's eyes. She wanted to ask what was wrong, try and comfort her friend, but found that she couldn't.

Elsa's hands were splayed across her cheeks. Her tail was wrapped around Anna's legs, keeping them aloft in the water – convenient, because Anna had stopped treading the moment Elsa's lips had met hers.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation. May as well, before she drowned. The nøkk were not known for their mateship. She'd had a good life, mostly. Made a difference in others', and that was what mattered, sort of.

A tear trickled down her cheek. It was still a shame.

Elsa's lips were sweeter than any song and Anna felt herself being pulled under, heat washing over her. Her lungs burned, begging for air, and yet it was still painful to tear her lips away to suck in a breath. This was it. Now she was truly doomed.

There was no way to prepare herself for the lungful of water she inhaled.

She was even less prepared to be hauled from the water and onto a frigid surface. Kristoff-?

Instinctively she rolled on her side, spewing water everywhere. The snow beneath her was red, and something in her mind clicked. As soon as she could breath comfortably, she rolled onto her back and stared up.

A pair of wide, wet blue eyes stared back.

"E-Elsa…?"

And then those sweet lips were on hers again, but this time not drowning.  _Intoxicating._ It was easy to lose herself in them, but this was not Elsa's doing – at least, not on purpose.

Elsa had played the long game, luring her like this; this time, though, it was not to her death.

Indeed, Anna could freely admit that she'd never felt more  _alive_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> turns out i never uploaded this here (whoops). please enjoy :) it's the last part to this series, and kashmir-bbj has done some terrific fanart of this chapter over on tumblr. you can find it [here](http://angstfish.tumblr.com/post/162166681580/elsanna-week-day-three-curiosity-version-1)


End file.
